Number one seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany needed three sets to overcome Romania’s Monica Niculescu and progress to the second round of the $250,000 WTA Hong Kong Open on Tuesday.
Lisicki lost the first set 6-3, but recovered to take the second on a tie-break before claiming the third in convincing fashion 6-1.
The world number 31 will play Grace Min of the United States in the second round.
Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone also required the maximum number of sets to beat American and fourth seed Christina McHale. The 2010 Roland Garros winner triumphed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Schiavone will play veteran Japanese star Kimiko Date-Krumm in round two after she eased past Swede Johanna Larsson 6-3, 6-3.
Second seed Daniela Hantuchova will play Chinese wildcard Zhang Ling in the final first-round match on Wednesday.