MOSCOW (AP) Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the second round of the Kremlin Cup by beating Lesia Tsurenko 7-5, 6-2 Monday.
The eighth-seeded Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion from Russia, won five consecutive games in the second set and served for the match at love.
"I haven't been playing at the Kremlin Cup for a couple of years," Kuznetsova said. "But this year I really want to play my best here and that's why I was so nervous at the beginning of the match. And I feel myself much better than a year ago when I really tired of tennis after being on the circuit for 12 years."
Kuznetsova is looking for her 14th career title. She last won in San Diego in 2010. Her best result in Moscow was a semifinal appearance in 2007.
Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine and Alize Cornet of France also won their first-round matches in straight sets.