Russian women advance in Kremlin Cup

MOSCOW -- Elena Dementieva moved into the second round of the Kremlin Cup with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Patty Schnyder on Tuesday.

Dementieva, runner-up in the French and U.S. opens, was one of four Russian players ranked in the Top 20 to advance. And all won in straight sets.

Vera Zvonareva, seeded sixth, beat Nathalie Dechy of France 6-0, 6-2; eighth-seeded Nadia Petrova topped Paola Suares of Argentina 7-5, 6-4; and unseeded Elena Bovina defeated Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-3 in 52 minutes.

Dementieva, ranked sixth in the world, took a 4-0 lead and easily won the first set in 26 minutes. A service break at 3-all put Dementieva ahead and she won the next two games to close out the match.

"She is not an easy opponent," Dementieva said. "I like to trap my opponents in the corners and she forced me to play what is not my tennis."

In another match, Croatian qualifier Sanda Mamic upset Mary Pierce 6-0, 6-4.

Bovina was drawn to play top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo in the second round, but the Frenchwoman withdrew because of a thigh injury. Bovina will face lucky-loser qualifier Claudine Schaul of Luxembourg.

In early men's play, third-seeded Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia beat Thomas Johansson of Sweden 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, and fifth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny defeated Marc Rosset of Switzerland 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.