Tue Jan 15 02:38:00 2008

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Kuznetsova, Chakvetadze triumph on Day 2 of Aussie Open

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Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze advanced to the second round at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Kuznetsova, the second seed, had an easy time with France's Nathalie Dechy, dispatching her in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Sixth-seeded Chakvetadze gained the second round when Germany's Andrea Petkovic retired with a right knee injury in the first game of their match.

Also advancing on Tuesday, Serbian Ana Ivanovic, the four-seed, who posted a 7-5, 6-3 win over Romanian Sorana Cirstea, and ninth-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, who dumped American Vania King in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.

Other winners on the day included Russia's Ekaterina Makarova, who knocked off 20th-seed Hungarian Agnes Szavay 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 21st-seed Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, Maria Kirilenko of Russia, Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik, Poland's Agnieska Radwanska, and Sania Mirza from India.

Also, American Laura Granville bowed to Austria's Yvonne Meusburger, 6-1, 6-4, while unseeded German Sabine Lisicki toppled 16th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2. Colombian Catalina Castano also knocked off a seeded player, No. 22 Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4.

Eighth-seeded American Venus Williams awaits a match later in the day with China's Zi Yan.