Pennetta wins first round in Mexican Open

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) -Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta defeated Russian Ekaterina Bychkova 6-4, 6-1 on Monday in the first round of the Mexican Open.

Pennetta, from Italy, has reached the finals in the Mexican Open four times, and won in 2005.

"There are a lot of matches before the finals, it's one step at a time," Pennetta said after the match.

Pennetta dominated the second set, breaking Bychkova's serve three times.

In other matches Monday, Mexican Melissa Torres came from behind to defeat Italy's Maria Elena Camerin 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.

American Jill Craybas easily defeated Paraguay's Rossana de los Rios 6-2, 6-2, and Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino dispatched Japan's Rika Fujiwara 7-5, 6-3. German Julia Schruff held off Hungarian Greta Arn 6-2, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5).

On the men's side, third-seeded Juan Monaco rallied to beat fellow Argentine Juan Pablo Brzezicki 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Spain's Nicolas Almagro cruised past Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-2. Spain's Albert Montanes upset seventh-seeded Igor Andreev of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-3.