The Hungarian Grand Prix lost its top two seeded players in the first round on Tuesday, as Lucie Safarova and Alize Cornet bowed out of the tournament.
Russia's Valeria Solovyeva routed top-seeded Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-0, while fellow Czech Andrea Hlavackova was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against France's Cornet, who won the event in 2008.
However, eighth-seeded Anna Tatishvili of Georgia defeated Hungary's Reka-Luca Jani 6-3, 6-4, and sixth-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa beat Slovakia's Michaela Honcova 6-4, 6-1.
Other winners were Hungarian Timea Babos, who held on to defeat Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia 6-3, 6- 7 (5), 6-3, and Shahar Peer of Israel, who cruised past Xenia Knoll of Switzerland 6-2, 6-2.
Just a month ago, record flooding of the Danube River, which flows just a couple hundred yards from center court, threatened to cancel the tournament.
The venue was spared thanks to a dam built in 2006, but the surrounding neighborhood was under water for days. Ground water seeped into the courts but organizers were able to clean up and repair the damage in time for the tournament.
