Pe'er got an early break in the second set but was unable to finish off the Uzbek.
By ALLON SINAIrogers cup 88(photo credit: )
Shahar Pe'er advanced to the second round of the $1,340,000 Rogers Cup in Montreal on Monday, defeating Varvara Lepchenko of the Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-4.
The Israeli dropped the first four games of the match but rallied back to win 12 of the next 16 games to claim victory.
Pe'er will now play world No. 11 Anastasia Myskina of Russia in the second round. Myskina received a first round bye and is coming into the tournament in good form following her appearance in the Nordic Light Open final in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday.
Lepchenko (125) stunned Pe'er (25) at the start of the match, breaking the Israeli twice and opening a 4-0 lead. But the qualifier was unable to maintain her hot streak and Pe'er started to work her way back into the match. The Israeli broke Lepchenko in the fifth game of the set and went on to win five straight games to wrap up the 6-4 first set win.
Pe'er got an early break in the second set but was unable to finish off the Uzbek. Lepchenko had two break points in the eighth game of the set but couldn't take advantage of them, allowing Pe'er to complete a 6-4 win in the second set.
Later Monday, Anna Smashnova (61) and Tzipi Obziler (140) were also in action in the first round in Montreal. Smashnova played Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli (28) and Obziler faced Nathalie Dechy (35).
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