PALO ALTO, Calif., July 28 (UPI) -- France's Marion Bartoli got off to another good start in Palo Alto Tuesday, topping Ashley Harkleroad in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic.
The fourth-seeded Bartoli cruised past her American opponent 6-1, 6-4 on the Stanford University hard court and advanced to the second round of the tournament she won last year in a stunner over Venus Williams . Bartoli finished second in the tournament in 2008.
Bartoli won the first set easily and rallied to win the second after being down a break early in the set.
The No. 6 seed, Shahar Peer of Israel, battled her way past Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 0-6, 6-4, 6-3. Eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus ousted Japan's Ayumi Morita 6-0, 6-2 in a match that was over in just 53 minutes.
