Finalist Vera Zvonareva Winbledon at WTA tennis defeated Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 at the 700,000-dollar in her first match WTA San Diego Open.
For the third seeded it was the first match Russian since she lost to US star Serena Williams in the Wimbledon championship match.
Zvonareva, ranked ninth, breezed through the first set but was pushed to a third as Cibulkova battled back.
But Zvonareva answered the challenge, showing no sign of a right hamstring injury that saw her withdraw last week at Stanford.
Next up for Zvonareva will be US qualifier Coco Vandeweghe, who advanced when Argentina's Gisela Dulko retired with a sprained right ankle after losing the first nine games.
Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska defeated South African Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 6-3 to book a date in the round of 16 against Russian Dinara Safina, who snapped a six match losing streak on Monday.
China's Zheng Jie defeated American Shenay Perry 6-3, 6-2 while Israeli seventh seed Shahar Peer ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Italian fifth seed Flavia Pennetta downed Ukranian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 7-5 and will next face Russian Maria Kirilenko, who outlasted Japan's Kurumi Nara 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.
For the third seeded it was the first match Russian since she lost to US star Serena Williams in the Wimbledon championship match.
Zvonareva, ranked ninth, breezed through the first set but was pushed to a third as Cibulkova battled back.
But Zvonareva answered the challenge, showing no sign of a right hamstring injury that saw her withdraw last week at Stanford.
Next up for Zvonareva will be US qualifier Coco Vandeweghe, who advanced when Argentina's Gisela Dulko retired with a sprained right ankle after losing the first nine games.
Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska defeated South African Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 6-3 to book a date in the round of 16 against Russian Dinara Safina, who snapped a six match losing streak on Monday.
China's Zheng Jie defeated American Shenay Perry 6-3, 6-2 while Israeli seventh seed Shahar Peer ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Italian fifth seed Flavia Pennetta downed Ukranian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 7-5 and will next face Russian Maria Kirilenko, who outlasted Japan's Kurumi Nara 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.
