Venus Williams wins opener at Italian Open; defending champ Dinara Safina falls

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Venus Williams advances, Safina loses in Rome

ROME — Venus Williams won her first match in a month in defeating Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-2 at the Italian Open on Tuesday, while defending champion Dinara Safina lost her opener.

Safina, playing only her second tournament since the Australian Open because of back problems, lost to Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 at the Foro Italico.

Williams had been sidelined with a knee problem since losing the Key Biscayne final. But the fourth-seeded American was in control against Schnyder, breaking the Swiss veteran six times.

Williams said her performance was “pretty good.” She won the Italian Open in 1999, and last year lost to Safina in the semifinals.

The third-seeded Safina recovered from 4-0 behind to even it 4-4, but went on to lose the next two games and the set. After taking the second set in a tiebreaker, Safina fell behind 5-0, and twice smashed her racket in frustration. She sent a forehand wide to give Dulgheru the match.

A former top-ranked player, Safina retired from the Australian Open in January with a lower back injury, and in her first tournament back — last week’s Porsche Grand Prix — she lost in the quarterfinals.

In other results, two-time former champion Jelena Jankovic defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, Agnieszka Radwanska beat Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-1, 6-0 and Shahar Peer of Israel rallied to stop Polona Hercog of Slovenia 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.