Soler-Espinosa bests Dulgheru in Mexico

MONTERREY, Mexico, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa upended No. 4 seed Alexandra Dulgheru Tuesday in opening-round action at the Monterrey Open.

Soler-Espinosa eliminated her Romanian opponent 6-3, 6-3 on the hard courts at Sierra Madre Tennis Club.

Meanwhile, another seeded player avoided an upset when No. 6 Greta Arn of Hungary breezed past China's Zhang Shuai 6-1, 6-4.

Russia's Valeria Savinykh posted a convincing 6-2, 6-3 decision over 41-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm, while Croatian qualifier Maria Abramovic bested Bogota runner-up Alexandra Panova 7-5, 6-4.