Kanepi takes first-round win in Tokyo

TOKYO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Fifth-seeded Kaia Kanepi rallied for a three-set win Monday in first-round women's play at the $175,000 Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo.

Kanepi dropped a tight first set to Lucie Safarova before coming back for the 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in opening the hard-court tournament at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum.

Two other first-round results saw one Japanese wild-card entrant win and another lose. Ayumi Morita breezed past Marina Erakovic 6-1, 6-4 but Aiko Nakamura was ousted 6-4, 7-5 by Marta Domachowska.

A fourth match scheduled for Monday -- Iveta Benesova versus Yanina Wickmayer -- was postponed because of rain. The match was reset for Tuesday, which also will include the first tournament action of top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

The 2008 Japan Open winner will collect $28,000.