Palermo, Italy – Seventh seed Alize Cornet was an easy opening-round winner, while last year's runner-up Polona Hercog was dismissed Monday at the $220,000 Italiacom Open.
Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu upended the sixth-seeded Slovenian Hercog 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) on the red clay at Country Time Club. Hercog was last year's runner-up here to five-time champion Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.
The French Cornet, meanwhile, whipped Colombian Mariana Duque Marino 6-3, 6-2.
Other first-round play saw Romanian Alexandra Cadantu douse Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 6-3, 6-2 and Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino drill Russian Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-4.
This week's top seeds are Italian favorites Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci. The French Open runner-up Errani was the Palermo winner in 2008 and runner-up in 2009.
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