Reigning champion Justine Henin-Hardenne opened her quest for a third title in four years here at a 1.3 million-dollar WTA event on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Austria's Sybille Bammer.
Top seed Henin-Hardenne improved to 12-0 at this clay court tournament with her second-round triumph, having won in 2003 and missed the event in 2004 before capturing the crown again last year.
The reigning French Open champion, who received a first-round bye, seeks her third WTA title of the year, having already won at Sydney and Dubai, and the top prize of 196,900 dollars. Swiss third seed Patty Schnyder advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over American Meilen Tu.
COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seed):
SECOND ROUND: Patty Schnyder (SUI x3) bt Meilen Tu (USA) 6-4, 7-5; Catalina Castano (COL) bt Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x5) 7-5, 6-2; Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) bt Kristina Brandi (USA) 6-4, 6-4; Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL x1) bt Sybille Bammer (AUT) 6-2, 6-3; Dinara Safina (RUS x7) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 7-5, 7-5;
FIRST ROUND: Julia Vakulenko (SLO) bt Jelena Jankovic (SEM) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5; Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 6-3, 6-3; Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-1, 6-4; Jamea Jackson (USA) bt Kveta Peschke (CZE) 6-4, 6-3; Jill Craybas (USA) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-4, 6-2; Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) bt Shenay Perry (USA) 6-0, 7-5; Julia Schruff (GER) bt Shinobu Asagoe (JPN) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4; Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) bt Vanessa Henke (GER) 6-3, 6-3; Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) bt Mariana Diaz-Oliva (ARG) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
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