Safina, Jankovic win Rome opener

ROME – Top-ranked Dinara Safina overcame a shaky start Tuesday to defeat Virginie Razzano of France, 7-6 (1), 6-1, and reach the third round of the Italian open.

Defending champion Jelena Jankovic also advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over Argentina’s Gisela Dulko in a match suspended for about 3 1/2 hours due to rain, and French Open champion Ana Ivanovic defeated Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, 6-3, 6-4.

Safina lost her serve in the opening game and allowed her 35th-ranked opponent to take the initiative for most of the first set.

But the 23-year-old Russian dominated the tiebreaker and then kept the momentum with an early break in the second set before winning the last four games. She closed out the match in 1 hour, 50 minutes.                                   

“I was a little bit tight,” Safina said. “Winning the first set gave me confidence. ... I just started to play a little bit better in the second set.” (AP)