seeded Vera Zvonareva breezed through the opening round of the inaugural Baku Cup Tuesday, while second-seeded fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had to battle through heat exhaustion and 25 double faults before advancing. Pavlyuchenkova, in contrast, had to work much harder for her 7-5, 6-4 win over Valeria Solovieva. Earlier, third-seeded Elena Vesnina overcame fellow Russian Yana Buchina 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 to begin another quest for her first WTA title. Vesnina will next play former top-15 Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, who easily overcame 15-year-old Kamilla Farhad of Azerbaijan 6-0, 6-2. Fifth-seeded Monica Niculescu of Romania advanced when Eirini Georgatou retired with a left ankle injury when trailing 5-1. Georgia's Anna Tatishvili upset eighth-seeded Russian Evgeniya Rodina 6-4, 6-2, seventh-seeded Russian Ksenia Pervak overcame Thailand's Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. Russell advances Michael Russell won the first match of the pre-US Open summer hardcourt season Monday, starting the ATP Atlanta Championships with a 6-0, 6-3 thrashing of fellow American Donald Young. Luxembourg's Gilles Muller eliminated the week's first seed as he put out number seven Alex Bogomolov of the US 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). Second seed Isner is pleased to be back in his southern heartland after winning a grass title a week ago in Newport. He makes his hardcourt start against James Blake, who beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
