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| Martina Hingis 225 w |
MONTREAL (Ticker) - Martina Hingis used some extra rest to her advantage.
The seventh-seeded Hingis advanced to the third round of the $1.34 million Rogers Cup on Tuesday night with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) triumph over Mara Santangelo of Italy.
While Hingis was one of eight players to receive a first-round bye, Santangelo had to rally for a 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Austrian Sybille Bammer on Monday.
A winner here in 1999 and 2000, Hingis battled back from a 4-1 deficit in the second round to move on. The Swiss next will meet No. 11 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia or American qualifier Jamea Jackson.
In the only other second-round match Tuesday, fifth seed and rising star Nicole Vaidisova takes on fellow Czech Lucie Safarova in the final encounter of the night.
Canadian wild card Marie-Eve Pelletier delighted local fans by upsetting No. 16 Na Li of China, 6-4, 6-2.
The 24-year-old Pelletier is ranked just No. 337 in the world due to a recurring foot injury.
"I have to say that my best performance so far was actually qualifying for the Australian Open, but I do think that this is the best win of my career," said Pelletier, the first Quebec native to advance to the second round here since Helene Pelletier in 1984. "With all of the foot and ankle injuries I've had, this win is really good for me."
The other two seeds in first-round matches moved on, as No. 10 Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany beat Shuai Peng of China, 6-3, 6-3, and Hantuchova routed Argentine Gisela Dulko, 6-2, 6-0.
Each will play an American qualifier in the second round, with Groenefeld facing Shenay Perry and Hantuchova taking on Jackson.
Top seed and defending champion Kim Clijsters learned she will face Stephanie Dubois in the second round after the Canadian wild card defeated Italian lucky loser Tathiana Garbin, 6-4, 6-4.
Dubois had dropped the first game of the second set when play was suspended on Monday night, then was behind, 4-3, when the match was halted due to rain Tuesday afternoon. When play resumed, Dubois won the final three games to book a spot against the reigning U.S. Open champion.
Third seed Nadia Petrova of Russia will play Anna Chakvetadze after her countrywoman beat yet another Russian, Vera Dushevina, 7-5, 6-3.