INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 8 (UPI) -- Gisela Dulko became one of three players to advance with limited effort Thursday in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Dulko had to play only one game of her match with Jelena Dokic before Dokic retired with an injury. Dulko will likely have to work much harder in her second-round match when she takes on second-seeded Maria Sharapova, who was a finalist at the Australian Open this year.
Sharapova and the other 31 seeded players in this tournament received a bye past the first round.
Irina Falconi moved on when Alexandra Dulgheru retired in the second set. Falconi lost the first set 6-4 but had a 5-2 lead in the second when Dulgheru called a halt to the match.
Falconi will take on sixth-seeded Samantha Stosur in the second round.
Johanna Larsson was in front 4-1 in the opening set when Greta Arn withdrew. That outcome put Larsson into the second round against No. 15 seed Ana Ivanovic.
Fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki will face Ekaterina Makarova in the second round after Makarova got past Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-3.
Other first-round winners Thursday included Varvara Lepchenko, Chanelle Scheepers, Tamira Paszek, Lesia Tsurenko, Sofia Arvidsson and Simona Halep.
The second round begins Friday with world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka meeting Mona Barthel.
