Pierce wins at Generali Ladies Open

LINZ, Austria, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Former champion Mary Pierce of France was among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $600,000 Generali Ladies Linz tennis tournament.

Pierce beat 2003 Linz champion Ai Sugiyama of Japan 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), A two-time Grand Slam champion, Pierce won this event in 1999.

Seventh-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze defeated Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik 7-5, 6-2. Chakvetadze has won her last 10 matches and is seeking her third title in three events. She recently won tournaments in Guangzhou and Moscow.

Russian Vera Zvonareva came back to beat eighth-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. Zvonareva will meet Pierce in the round of 16.

This week's top seed is U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova of Russia.