Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo rallied from a set down to overcome French compatriot Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-7 7-6 6-1 in the first round of the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday.
The double grand slam champion, who has slumped to 35th in the world rankings after a year beset by injury problems, secured the morale-boosting victory with a decisive third set display after her opponent had looked in control in the early stages.
Playing her first match since Wimbledon, the fifth seed was two points away from defeat in the second-set tiebreak but rallied to set up a clash with Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. "The first match in a month and a half is never easy," Mauresmo told reporters. "When nothing is working like you want it to and the other player is playing well, you have to just hang in there."
However, there was bad news for another Frenchwoman as top seed Marion Bartoli was forced to pull out during the second set of her match with American wildcard Jamea Jackson. Former Wimbledon runner-up Bartoli was trailing 7-6 2-2 when she retired with abdominal pain.
Second seed Nadia Petrova had no problems in reaching round two as she thrashed Russian Galina Voskoboeva 6-3 6-0, while sixth seed Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada eased past Japan's Aiko Nakamura 6-3 6-2. Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine and American Vania King also advanced.
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