Top-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru advanced to the second round of the Tashkent Open by beating Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-2, 7-5 on Tuesday.
The 27th-ranked Dulgheru is the highest-ranked, top-seeded player in the 12-year history of the event and is looking for her second WTA Tour title this season. The Romanian won her career second title in May in Warsaw, Poland.
Her compatriot Monica Niculescu, seeded fifth, also advanced with a 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 win over Zarina Diyas, a 16-year-old qualifier from Kazakhstan.
All other seeded players in action also progressed.
Second-seeded Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan beat Eirini Georgatou of Greece 6-4, 6-3.
Amanmuradova, runner-up in 2005 and last season, broke decisively in the 10th game of the first set. In the second set, Amanmuradova saved four breakpoints and the 236th-ranked Georgatou saved six before dropping serve in the eighth game.
Third-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia, sixth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia and seventh-seeded Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia all won first-round matches.
