Pennetta takes easy first-round win

BASTAD, Sweden, July 6 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta dropped just two games Tuesday in rolling to a first-round victory at the Collector Swedish Open clay-court tennis tournament.

Pennetta needed just 47 minutes to dispatch Anna Brazhnikova 6-2, 6-0. Pennetta won 68 percent of the points in the match, including 80 percent in the second set when she lost only six points.

Pennetta dropped serve once but piled up six breaks of Brazhnikova's serve.

No. 3-seeded Lucie Safarova advanced with a similar score, beating Kathrin Woerle 6-2, 6-0, saving both break-point situations she faced. Fourth-seeded Gisela Dulko was on the court just more than an hour in a 6-1, 6-3 win over Ellen Allgurin and No. 8-seeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova stopped Zuzana Kucova 6-3, 6-0 without dropping serve.

However, Ana Vrljic advanced when sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber retired with an injury. Vrljic was ahead 3-0 in the third set when the match was stopped. Also, Anna-Lena Groenefeld upset seventh-seeded Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-4.

Other first-round results Tuesday saw Sloane Stephens stop Alberta Brianti 6-2, 6-4; Jill Craybas defeat Rossana De Los Rios 6-3, 6-3; Arantxa Rus top Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-3; and Nuria Llagostera Vives handle Masa Zec Peskiric 6-0, 7-5.