Wickmayer makes Auckland second round

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Defending champion Yanina Wickmayer survived a three-set match Tuesday in first-round play at the ASB Classic tennis tournament in New Zealand.

Wickmayer, the event's No. 2 seed, edged past Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1. Wickmayer won more points than Safina in each set -- even in losing the second -- and rolled through the third set by taking 61 percent of the points.

No. 4-seeded Julia Goerges had an easier time getting past Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-0 while losing only nine points in eight service games. Eighth-seeded Sofia Arvidsson topped Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-1, dropping serve once in the match. No. 9-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro was a 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) winner over Romina Oprandi.

Greta Arn and Heather Watson dropped just three games between them in moving into the second round. Arn, who dropped serve once, routed Zuzana Ondraskova 6-1, 6-0 and Watson took a 6-1, 6-1 decision from Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in 50 minutes.

Other first-round results included Alize Cornet's 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 win over Sandra Zahlavova; Simona Halep's 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Ayumi Morita; and a 6-1, 6-3 triumph by Sabine Lisicki over Florencia Molinero.