Schnyder makes winning comeback

Schnyder will now face France's Amelie Mauresmo Keystone

Patty Schnyder made a solid return to the WTA Tour on Tuesday, ending her four-week absence from the game with a three sets win over Slovakian qualifier Daniela Hantuchova.

The Swiss number two (WTA 50) has been battling against injury and a lack of self-confidence since the start of the season. But despite a wobbly second set during Tuesday’s match in Filderstadt, Schnyder was able to avoid what would have been her tenth first round defeat this year.

After taking Tuesday’s first set 6-3, the former world number eight was mauled 1-6 in the second but clung on to eventually wrap up a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 win over Hantuchova (WTA 53).

Granted a wildcard entry into the German event, Schnyder will be keen to get as much playing time as she can ahead of next week’s home tournament in Kloten.

Her opponent in the second round is unlikely to make things easy for Schnyder though. The 22-year-old from Basel now faces French world number six Amelie Mauresmo, who leads Schnyder 4-3 from their previous seven meetings.

Gagliardi victory

New Swiss number three Emmanuelle Gagliardi was also celebrating victory on Tuesday, after maintaining her impressive late-season form with a straight sets win over New Zealand’s Pavlina Nola in Shanghai.

Having suffered ten first round exits from her 15 previous tournaments this year, Gagliardi (WTA 85) made no such mistake on Tuesday, easily disposing of Nola (WTA 108) 6-2, 6-3.

The 25-year-old Genevan showed her first signs of improvement last week, when she reached the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Tokyo.

To emulate that achievement in Shanghai, Gagliardi will have to overcome Japan’s Ai Sugiyama (WTA 37) in the second round.

swissinfo with agencies