Pironkova among early winners in Budapest

BUDAPEST, Hungary, July 7 (UPI) -- Tsvetana Pironkova and Lucie Safarova were easy winners Monday in first-round play at the $175,000 Gaz de France Grand Prix tennis tournament in Hungary.

Pironkova, seeded third, dispatched Teodora Mircic 6-3, 6-1 while the fifth-seeded Safarova ousted Kyra Nagy 6-2, 6-2 at the start of the clay-court tournament.

Also Monday, Tzipora Obziler knocked off Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-3, 6-2 and Anna-Lena Groenefeld defeated Palma Kiraly 6-0, 6-4.

Hungary's Agnes Szavay, ranked 14th in the world, is the tournament's top seed.

Gisela Dulko won the 2007 event in Budapest but isn't entered this year.

The tournament champion will take home $28,000.