Sania Mirza eased past Canadian Alesandra Wozniak into the second round of the $600,000 East West Bank Classic WTA tournament here.
The 30th-ranked Sania did not have too many problems in beating the 109th-ranked Wozniak as she notched up a 6-3, 6-2 victory over the qualifier at the Tier II hardcourt event on Monday.
However, an uphill task lies ahead of the Hyderabadi, who will meet seventh seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the next round. The Swiss got a bye in the first round.
In doubles, Sania and partner Bethanie Mattek of the USA will take on Janette Husarova of Slovakia and Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, sixteenth seed Lucie Safarova beat Olga Poutchkova 7-5, 6-2 as two seeds bowed out through injury, adds Reuters.
Eleventh seed Tatiana Golovin of France had to retire with a hamstring problem after losing the first set 7-5 to Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn, and number 12 Li Na of China withdrew with a rib injury.
Tanasugarn next faces Gisela Dulko of Argentina, who beat Sun Tiantian of China 7-5, 6-4. Thirteenth seed Sybille Bammer of Austria also advanced, beating American Laura Granville 6-4, 6-2, while Ukraine's Yuliana Fedak upset compatriot and 14th seed Alona Bondarenko 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
American Ashley Harkleroad overcame Jamea Jackson in straight sets and next faces third seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, who is playing her first tournament since Wimbledon.
Hewitt advances
Lleyton Hewitt won the battle of former world number ones at the Montreal Masters by beating Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6, 6-4 to reach the second round, reports Reuters.
But there were shock defeats for 10th seed Tomas Berdych, number 11 Ivan Ljubicic and Argentine 15th seed Guillermo Canas.
Australian Hewitt, ranked four places below Ferrero at number 21, prevailed in one hour 47 minutes.
In his first tournament since Wimbledon, where he reached the fourth round, Hewitt's greater consistency helped him overcome Ferrero, who has shown signs recently of regaining his best form. Hewitt is playing doubles in Montreal with world number two Rafael Nadal.
Czech 10th seed Berdych lost 6-4, 7-5 to 20-year-old Dutchman Robin Haase.
Ljubicic was stunned 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 by American qualifier Wayne Odesnik, ranked 182. But the real drama was saved for the evening session when Canas squandered a 6-4, 4-0 lead against Paul-Henri Mathieu, the Frenchman winning 13 of the last 14 games to seal a 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory.
Argentine David Nalbandian, 16th seed David Ferrer of Spain, Russian number 14 Mikhail Youzhny, American Michael Russell and Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia all progressed.
