Hercog falls, Cornet advances at Palermo

PALERMO, Italy, July 9 (UPI) -- Last year's runner-up Polona Hercog took and early fall while No. 7 seed Alize Cornet advanced Monday at the Palermo Women's International event.

The sixth-seeded Hercog of Slovenia was dispatched 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) by Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu on clay courts of Country Time Club.

Hercog finished second in Palermo last year to five-time champion Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.

France's Cornet, meanwhile, had little trouble in her match-up against Colombian Mariana Duque Marino, besting her 6-3, 6-2.

Elsewhere on Day 1, Alexandra Cadantu of Romania handled Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 6-3, 6-2 and Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino breezed past Russian Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-4.