Top-seeded Kleybanova reaches second round at Budapest Grand Prix with win over Karatantcheva

Kleybanova reaches 2nd round at Budapest GP

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Top-seeded Alisa Kleybanova has beaten Sesil Karatantcheva in a first round match at the Budapest Grand Prix.

Kleybanova won 7-5, 6-4 despite losing a 4-1 lead in the first set when Karatantcheva won the next four games. The Russian took the set by winning the extended rallies and chasing down long shots to the baseline.

In the second set, Kleybanova took a 4-2 lead and control of the match by breaking Karatantcheva’s serve in the sixth game, the longest of the encounter.

“It was a tough match. I was definitely not playing my best tennis today,” Kleybanova said. “It is hard to adapt from grass to clay as I arrived from London just a couple of days ago.”

Kleybanova will face Patty Schnyder in the second round.

Other seeded players to advance were Anabel Medina Garrigues, Roberta Vinci and Polona Hercog.

Wimbledon semifinalist Tzvetana Pironkova withdrew from the tournament with an injury to her right wrist.