Arn, Halep claim wins in Morocco

FES, Morocco, April 18 (UPI) -- Seeded players Greta Arn and Simona Halep advanced easily Monday into the second round of the WTA's stop in Morocco.

Arn, seeded fourth, was up 6-0, 1-0 when Patricia Mayr-Achleitner retired. Arn had won 61 percent of the points when the match was stopped.

The seventh-seeded Halep needed just 61 minutes to dispatch Anastasiya Yakimova 6-2, 6-0. Halep dropped serve twice but cashed in seven of her 10 break-point chances. She claimed 72 percent of the points off Yakimova's serve.

Also Monday, Alla Kudryavtseva rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Nina Bratchikova and Ksenia Pervak was a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 winner over fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber.

The $220,000 tournament on a clay court in Fes, Morocco, continues through Sunday. World No. 24 Aravane Rezai is the top seed.