Wins for Hingis and Schnyder

Hingis serves during Tuesday's win over Panova Keystone

Martina Hingis and Patty Schnyder both got back to winning ways on Tuesday at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome.

Hingis, who was given a first round bye at the $1.2 million tournament, bounced back from her quarter-final defeat at last week’s German Open with a straight sets win over Russia’s Tatiana Panova (WTA 35).

The world number one made an unusually hesitant start to Tuesday’s second round match. But after defending nine break points against her first two service games, the Swiss star began to take control.

Upping her game for the most important points, Hingis converted three break point opportunities to win the first set 6-2.

After going 4-2 up with serve in the second set, Hingis appeared to be closing in for the kill. But another wobble saw the Swiss star drop her serve and apparently hand Panova a lifeline.

Any chance of an upset soon faded, though. The next two games saw Hingis strike back, first breaking Panova before successfully serving for a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Patty Schnyder’s place in the second round was only guaranteed thanks to an injury sustained by her Italian opponent, Tathiana Garbin.

After losing the opening set 4-6, the Swiss number two appeared to be heading for her eighth first-round exit in her 11 tournaments this season.

But with the score at 4-4 in the second set, Garbin pulled a calf muscle and, after losing the set 5-7, was unable to continue.

In the second round, Schnyder is due to play the Yugoslavian teenage talent, Jelena Dokic, who is seeded 14th in Rome.

swissinfo with agencies