Bartoli made to battle

Marion Bartoli required a total of seven match points before finally seeing off the challenge of Ai Sugiyama at the Linz Open.

Former champ Petrova also requires three sets to progress

Sixth seed Marion Bartoli required a total of seven match points before finally seeing off the determined challenge of Japan's Ai Sugiyama at the Linz Open. The Frenchwoman eventually won a dramatic contest 6-4 2-6 7-6 to book her spot in the second round.

Bartoli needed the best part of three hours to sneak through, but endured countless nervy moments before closing out victory. Indeed, the former Wimbledon finalist had led 6-2 in the deciding set tie-break, but was pegged back before edging through 10-8. Bartoli set the tone for a scrappy, see-saw affair when she dished up three double-faults as she lost her opening service game. However, she showed commendable spirit to hit back and pinch it 6-4. But she remained far from convincing and allowed Sugiyama to race into a 3-0 double-break lead ate the start of the second. The Japanese player held her nerve to level the match and, after the pair continued to trade breaks, looked on the verge of victory as she served for the match at both 5-4 and 6-5 in the final set. But Bartoli twice staved off defeat with breaks of her own and then completed a remarkable escape in the tense breaker.

Petrova tested

Former champion and fifth seed Nadia Petrova also endured problems before overcoming Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko. Bondarenko edged the first set and, having fallen 0-5 down in the second, staged a fine comeback to come within two points of getting back on serve at 4-5. But Petrova kept her to serve out for the second and then breezed through the decider to seal her passage with a 3-6 6-3 6-1 triumph. "Kateryna played exceptionally well in the first set and she got me on the run," Petrova conceded afterwards. "I was a little bit surprised by that and it took me a while to realise what I had to do. "I started doing the right things in the second set, then at 5-0 I went a little bit to la-la land. But I was glad the way I managed to finish it off." Bondarenko's sister Alona ensured that the family enjoyed some success when she beat Russian qualifier Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-3.