Chakvetadze collapses

The 24-year-old world number 50, who collapsed in Dubai (pictured) because of a gastro-intestinal virus and retired in Indian Wells this year, pulled out with the score against Zuzana Kucova at 6-1 5-7 4-4.

"I started the match feeling fine but I knew it (dizziness) was coming and started to feel worse in the second set. It was the same feeling as the last two times," the former world number five said in a statement, adding doctors had cleared her to play.

"I don't have anything more to update at the moment. I saw the doctors at home before the tournament and they said everything would be okey which is why I decided to play here."

"But now it's the third tournament in a row that I have had to retire with this problem. It seems like the doctors don't have all the answers yet so I have been told to rest and we will see what happens. Hopefully we will find a solution."

Fifth seed Samantha Stosur, struggling for form so far this season, got her European claycourt season off to a solid start with a 7-5 6-1 win over Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Stosur, a semi-finalist and finalist at the French Open in the past two years, needed just 80 minutes to ease into the second round where she will face Daniela Hantuchova, who progressed with a 7-5 6-3 win over Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru.

German duo Julia Georges and Sabine Lisicki both booked their places in the second round, with wins over Michaella Krajicek and Dominika Cibulkova respectively and they were later joined by compatriot Andrea Petkovic, who had to recover from a set down to beat qualifier Tamira Paszek 3-6 6-2 6-2.

Seventh seed Jelena Jankovic cruised past Spaniard Beatriz Garcia Vidagany 6-1 6-2 in the last match of the day to set up a second round meeting with Petkovic, who sobbed during a change of ends in her clash.

"I was tired and needed a bit of time to get started, just like a diesel engine," the German number one, who helped her nation beat the United States in the Fed Cup at the weekend, said.

"I felt the crowd giving me a boost because maybe I was a bit too comfortable after the weekend (win)."

World number 14 Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to a second round clash with French Open champion Francesca Schiavone when she beat American qualifier Jamie Hampton 6-0 6-1.

Second seed Vera Zvonareva will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round, after receiving a first round bye, with the Russian beating Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-3 6-4.