Pennetta takes first-round win in Italy

PALERMO, Italy, July 11 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta and fellow Italian Alberta Brianti both posted solid first-round wins Monday at the SNAI Open tennis tournament in Italy.

Pennetta, last year's SNAI runner-up, ran past Anastasia Grymalska 6-4, 6-1 in a brisk 67 minutes. Pennetta had six service breaks in nine receiving games and took nearly 60 percent of the points in the match.

She lost only six points on serve in the second set.

Brianti wrapped up first-day action at the tournament with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Silvia Albano in just 61 minutes. Brianti claimed 71 percent of the second-set points, winning all but three points off Albano's serve.

Also Monday, No. 6-seeded Tsvetana Pironkova stopped Anna Tatishvili 6-2, 7-5 behind seven service breaks and Akgul Amanmuradova faced just one break-point situation in a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win over Madalina Gojnea.