Smooth progress for Pennetta

Flavia Pennetta booked her place in the second round of the Palermo Open with a straight-sets triumph over Kathrin Woerle.

Top seeds safely over first hurdle

Defending champion Flavia Pennetta wasted little time booking her place in the second round of the Palermo Open with a straight-sets triumph over Kathrin Woerle. The top seed and local favourite raced to a 6-3 6-1 victory as she looks to retain the clay-court crown she won in 2009. Perhaps the greatest threat to Pennetta's title hopes, Aravane Razai, also progressed, courtesy of a three-set victory over Romanian Simona Halep. The Frenchwoman, seeded second, overcame a second set blip to advance 7-5 4-6 6-2. Also on Tuesday, third seed Sara Errani progressed on home soil with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine. Fellow seeds Julia Gorges and Alberta Brianti also made it over the first hurdle, however seventh-seed Arantxa Parra was shocked after falling to Masa Zec Peskiric.