Kournikova progresses in Canada

Kournikova believes her game is coming together

Monday's results

Anna Kournikova advanced to the second round of the Canadian Open with a 6-3 6-1 win over qualifier Saori Obata on Monday.

Despite a shaky service game in the first set, the 40th-ranked Russian easily disposed of her 24-year-old Japanese opponent in just 45 minutes.

"I was hitting the ball really well today," said Kournikova, who has yet to win a singles title on the women's tour.

"In general, my game is getting back and coming together finally."

Kournikova will play her second round match against Spaniard qualifier Virginia Ruano Pascual who upset Luxembourg's 14th seed Anne Kremer in a comfortable 6-1 6-0 victory.

France's Mary Pierce, a former world number three who is now ranked 49th after a series of injuries, lost 7-6 6-7 7-5 to qualifier Henrieta Nagyova, in a match that lasted almost three hours.

Hingis is finally returning to the court

"Basically, pretty much everything was missing today," said Pierce, who won the French Open in 2000.

"I'm not too sure what's going on but I'll need to figure it out."

Two other seeded players, Russia's Anastasia Myskina and Israel's Anna Smashnova crashed out of the first round on Monday.

Myskina, the 11th seed, lost to Argentina's Clarisa Fernandez 6-3 6-1, while 13th seed Smashnova lost 6-2 7-6 to American Alexandra Stevenson.

Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams, who both received byes to the second round, will play Sarah Taylor and Fabiola Zuluaga respectively.

Former world number one Martina Hingis, back after injury, will meet Spain's Magui Serna.

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First-round results from Montreal:
(Seedings in bold)

(9) E Dementieva (Rus) bt A Serra Zanetti (Ita) 6-3 6-4
N Dechy (Fra) bt I Majoli (Cro) 6-3 6-1
A Kournikova (Rus) bt S Obata (Jap) 6-3 6-1
S Taylor (US) bt J Nejedly (Can) 6-1 6-0
(10) S Farina Elia (Ita) bt M Drake (Can) 6-2 7-5
H Nagyova (Slo) bt M Pierce (Fra) 7-6 (9-7) 6-7 (4-7) 7-5
D Bedanova (Cze) bt J Craybas (US) 2-6 6-1 6-4
T Tanasugarn (Tha) bt T Pisnik (Slo) 6-0 6-1
C Torrens Valero (Spa) bt E Callens (Bel) 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3
M Serna (Spa) bt R Neffa-de los Rios (Par) 6-3 2-6 6-2
C Fernandez (Arg) bt (11) A Myskina (Rus) 6-3 6-1
V Ruano Pascual (Spa) bt (14) A Kremer (Lux) 6-1 6-0
N Pratt (Aus) bt T Poutchek (Blr) 6-1 6-3
A Stevenson (US) bt (13) A Smashnova (Isr) 6-2 7-6 (7-4)
B Schett (Aus) bt M Irvin (US) 1-6 6-3 6-4
F Zuluaga (Col) bt I Tulyaganova (Uzb) 6-1 6-2
A Coetzer (RSA) bt C Black (Zim) 6-2 6-2

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