ROME, May 15 (UPI) -- Five-time Grand Slam champions and former world No. 1s Venus Williams and Martina Hingis won Monday at the $1.34 million Internazionali d'Italia.
Williams defeated Czech qualifier Zuzana Ondraskova 6-3, 6-2 at Foro Italico, where the men's edition of this event concluded on Sunday when Rafael Nadal topped Roger Federer in a more-than-five-hour epic five-set final.
Williams will play her second-round match Tuesday against Czech Lucie Safarova.
Hingis, from Switzerland, beat Italian qualifier Sara Errani 6-0, 6-1.
Russian Anastasia Myskina also advanced, with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) victory over Belarusian qualifier Victoria Azarenka.
In other seeded action, 12th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova overcame Finn Emma Laine 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 and Serb Jelena Jankovic ousted 14th-seeded Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-4, 6-3. Vaidisova will meet Hingis on Tuesday.
