Dementieva advances in New Zealand

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva posted a 7-5, 6-3 win Tuesday over Taipei's Yung-Jan Chan in the first round of the WTA ASB Classic.

Dementieva, who won three singles titles in 2008, including the gold medal at the Olympics, is making her 2009 debut at this tournament. In the second round, she will meet New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, who beat Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives 7-5, 6-4.

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark posted to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Italian qualifier Alberta Brianti. Wozniacki, also playing in this event for the first time, won her first three career singles titles last year. She'll next face American Jill Craybas on Wednesday.

Seventh-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated German qualifier Kristina Barrois 6-3, 6-1 and eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain beat France's Nathalie Dechy, 6-4, 6-0.