Mon Jul 7 17:20:25 2008

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Pennetta, Suarez Navarro move on in Palermo

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Palermo, Italy (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta and fourth-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro were a pair of opening-round winners Monday at the Palermo International.

The 2004 Palermo runner-up Pennetta pasted German Sandra Kloesel 6-2, 6-2, while the French Open quarterfinalist Suarez Navarro beat Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) on the red clay at Country Time Club.

In other Day-1 action, fifth-seeded Italian Sara Errani erased Taipei's Su-Wei Hsieh 6-1, 6-0 and Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko outlasted Italian Mara Santangelo 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

The 2008 Palermo titlist will take home $23,000. Hungarian Agnes Szavay, who is not defending her title this week, beat German Martina Muller in last year's final.