Bogota, Colombia – Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, third-seeded Lourdes Dominguez Lino and fifth seed Flavia Pennetta were among Tuesday's opening-round winners at the Copa Claro Colsanitas tennis event.
The fourth-seeded Schiavone came from behind to beat Canadian qualifier Sharon Fichman 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, while the Spanish Dominguez Lino took out wild card and veteran Colombian favorite Catalina Castano 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 on the red clay at Centro de Alto Rendimiento. Dominguez Lino titled here in 2006 and 2011 and was the Bogota runner-up back in 2005.
Pennetta won Tuesday's nightcap with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Russian Alexandra Panova, who was last year's Bogota runner-up. Pennetta was the Bogota champ in 2005 and runner-up in 2006.
A pair of upsets came when Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor doused sixth- seeded Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-4, 6-3 and Croatian qualifier Tereza Mrdeza dismissed seventh-seeded Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Eighth seed Timea Babos of Hungary snuck past Spanish qualifier Beatriz Garcia Vidagany 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4).
Meanwhile, last year's Bogota champion Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino of Spain held off Colombian wild card Yuliana Lizarazo 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. Arruabarrena-Vecino defeated Panova in last year's finale.
Also on Day 2, Romanian Alexandra Cadantu handled Portuguese Maria Joao Koehler 6-0, 6-3, Brazilian qualifier Teliana Pereira drubbed Austrian Yvonne Meusburger 6-3, 6-3 and Italian Karin Knapp whipped Czech Eva Birnerova 6-1, 6-1.
This week's top seed is former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, who will meet American Julia Cohen in a first-rounder here on Wednesday.
The newest champion will earn $40,000.
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