PALERMO, Italy(AP) Swedish Open champion Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain ousted third-seeded Alize Cornet of France 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Palermo Open on Tuesday.
Martinez Sanchez beat three seeds en route to her second title of the year at Bastad on Saturday, and came into Palermo unseeded again.
Cornet, meanwhile, has struggled. It was her third loss in four matches since the French Open.
Home favorite and top seed Flavia Pennetta began her 10th bid to win Palermo, easing into the second round with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Spain's Arantxa Parra Santonja.
Pennetta reached the final in 2004 and lost last year in the semifinals to compatriot Sara Errani, who won the tournament.
Errani, seeded fifth, began her title defense by defeating Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva 6-4, 6-4. Sixth-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia beat Jill Craybas of the United States 6-3, 6-1, but No. 8 Gisela Dulko of Argentina, a semifinalist in Bastad, was knocked out by Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Argentina 6-4, 6-1.