Petrova coasts past first round in Moscow

MOSCOW, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- No. 5 seed Nadia Petrova coasted to a 6-2, 6-0 victory Monday over Yana Buchina on the opening day of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

Petrova, the runner-up in this event three years ago, reached the semifinals of the China Open in her most recent tournament but was denied what would have been her first championship match appearance of the year.

She will take on Alona Bondarenko in the second round following Bondarenko's 6-4, 6-3 decision over Anna Chakvetadze.

The biggest surprise on the first day of the tournament came when Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated seventh-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-2.

No. 1 seed Vera Zvonareva will face Ioana Raluca Olaru in the first round Tuesday. Jelena Jankovic, the second seed and defending champion, will play Yaroslava Shvedova.

Jankovic defeated Zvonareva in last year's title match.