PALERMO, Italy, July 8 (UPI) -- Top seed Magui Serna of Spain needed three sets Tuesday to reach the second round of the Palermo International tennis tournament.
Serna, who is ranked 29th in the world, defeated countrywoman Conchita Martinez Granados, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, to set up a match with Slovakia's Ludmila Cervanova. Serna won her lone career title last year at Estoril, Portugal.
The only other seeded player in action Tuesday was No. 7 Emilie Loit of France, who also went the distance against Cristina Torrens Valero, winning, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Defending champion Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain defeated Italian Maria Elena Camerin, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1. Medina Garrigues will have a tough second-round encounter against second seed Denisa Chladkova.
Italian Roberta Vinci bounced Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic, 7-6 (8-6), 6-0, and Yuliana Fedak of the Ukraine beat Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France, 6-2, 6-1.
