US open News-Dinara Safina avoids upset

dinara-safina Dinara Safina barely avoided becoming the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round at the U.S. Open.

Safina, of Russia, overcame 11 double-faults and 48 unforced errors to come back and beat 167th-ranked Olivia Rogowska of Australia, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4, Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Later, 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who missed last year’s U.S. Open with a shoulder injury, returned to the tournament with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria. And former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic was knocked out, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), by Kateryna Bondarenko.

Safina, the younger sister of two-time major champion Marat Safin, moved up to No. 1 in the rankings in April — and is assured of staying there no matter what happens at Flushing Meadows. She reached the finals at the Australian Open and French Open this year, losing both.

Rogowska, 18, received a wild-card invitation into the U.S. Open and has won one Grand Slam match. She never has defeated anyone ranked better than 47th.