Makarova opens Italian Open with upset

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ROME, May 14 (UPI) -- Ekaterina Makarova posted a straight-set upset win Monday in opening-day play at the Italian Open.

Makarova, in the final of Monday's 12-match schedule, ousted 10th-seeded Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4. Schiavone, ranked 14th in the world, is 2-10 since mid-February.

Makarova finished off all four -- two in each set -- of her break-point chances in beating Schiavone for the first time in her career.

No. 12-seeded Angelique Kerber rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Anastasia Rodionova for a first-round victory and 13th-seeded Ana Ivanovic defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 6-3 in Monday's other matches involving seeded players.

Vania King, despite dropping her serve once, won two-thirds of the points in a 6-0, 6-1 romp over Tsvetana Pironkova. Anabel Medina Garrigues also claimed a solid victory, beating Zheng Jie 6-2, 6-1.

Shahar Peer was up 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 3-1 when Peng Shuai retired. That put Peer into a second-round match against world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. Christina McHale got past Monica Niculescu 6-4, 6-4 and next draws second-seeded Maria Sharapova. Azarenka and Sharapova had first-round byes.

Other players moving into the second round after Monday's play were Chanelle Scheepers, Iveta Benesova, Julia Goerges, Sofia Arvidsson and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.