LUXEMBOURG, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Anabel Medina Garrigues, seeded third, outfought Arantxa Parra Santonja Monday in the opening round of the Luxembourg Open.
Despite her high seeding, Garrigues has made it past the second round in only one of her last eight tournaments. The exception came at the Korea Open, where she made it all the way to the finals before losing to Kimiko Date Krumm.
Garrigues ousted Parra Santonja 7-5, 6-2 and will play either Kirsten Flipkens or Urszula Radwanska in the second round.
Sabine Lisicki also advanced Monday with a 6-1, 6-4 decision over Iveta Benesova and Carla Suarez Navarro survived against Mandy Minella 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.
Defending champion Elena Dementieva did not return to the event this year. No. 1 seed and U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki will begin her week Tuesday against Melanie Oudin.
Wozniacki earned a quarterfinal win over Oudin at the U.S. Open this year in one of the highlight matches of the tournament.
