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Kleybanova takes Korea Open opener

Alisa Kleybanova, shown in a file photo from the 2010 French Open, was among the first-round winners Monday at the Korea Open in Seoul. UPI/David Silpa
Alisa Kleybanova, shown in a file photo from the 2010 French Open, was among the first-round winners Monday at the Korea Open in Seoul. UPI/David Silpa | License Photo

SEOUL, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- No. 5-seeded Alisa Kleybanova swept to a first-round victory Monday at the WTA's Korea Open in Seoul.

Kleybanova topped Kai-Chen Chang 6-2, 6-3 behind six service breaks. Kleybanova won nearly two-thirds of the points in Chang's service games. She had to overcome serve issues of her own, dropping serve three times and making four double faults.

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Ekaterina Makarova took the only three-set match of the first day of the tournament, slipping past Iveta Benesova 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. She lost her serve twice in the decisive set but answered with three breaks against Benesova.

Also Monday, Ksenia Pervak defeated Yung-Jan Chan 6-4, 7-5 by racking up seven service breaks and Elena Baltacha ousted wild-card entrant Kim So-jung 6-3, 6-4 when she was able to finish off five of six break-point opportunities.

Tuesday's Korean Open schedule calls for the other 12 first-round matches. The highlight match sends top-seeded Nadia Petrova against Jarmila Groth, who collected her first WTA title Sunday in China.

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