Venus, Kuznetsova advance at French Open

Williams, seeded second, had little trouble with Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, dispatching her in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Williams improved her record against Schnyder to 11-0.

Meanwhile, No. 6 seed Kuznetsova began her defense of her title by overcoming a slow start and notching a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Romanian Sorana Cirstea. Kuznetsova stormed back after losing the first three games to take nine straight.

Also in Paris Sunday, 10th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus fell victim to an upset, losing 6-1, 6-2 to Gisela Dulko. The result was especially surprising since Dulko had dropped four straight opening matches coming into the French Open.

No. 14 seed Italian Flavia Pennetta downed Briton Anne Keothavong 6 2, 6-2, and 15th-seeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai breezed past Heidi El Tabakh of Canada 6-1, 6-1.

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