Fourth-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia defeated Rebecca Marino of Canada 7-6 (4), 6-3 to reach the second round of the Strasbourg International on Monday.
Petrova, twice a semifinalist at the French Open, has struggled on clay so far this season and lost first round-matches both in Madrid and Rome.
Petrova will next face either Alize Cornet or Sania Mirza.
Maria Kirilenko of Russia and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, the No. 5 and No. 6 seeded players respectively, also advanced.
Kirilenko easily beat last year's finalist Kristina Barrois of Germany 6-2, 6-3 and will take on Laura Pous-Tio of Spain. Hantuchova took advantage of Johanna Larsson's weak serve and broke her four times in a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Seventh-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues, Mathilde Johansson of France and Serbian Bojana Jovanovski also advanced.
Garrigues easily defeated American Melanie Oudin 6-3, 6-1 to start her quest for a fourth title in Strasbourg. Pous-Tio beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4, 6-2.
Johansson converted five of 11 break points to beat Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan, 6-1, 6-1 in just 61 minutes and Jovanovski downed Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 7-6 (3), 6-3.
