Kuznetsova beats Alexandrova in comeback match in Switzerland

Two-time grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets in her first match for more than six months in Switzerland.

The former world number two took nearly two-and-a-half hours to see off the sixth seed at the Samsung Open, after fighting back from a set down to take the tie 3-6 6-2 7-6 (6).

It was a nervy tie for the wild card in Lugano as she failed to convert four match points in the final set tie break with Alexandrova drawing level at 6-6, but a break and a point on serve sealed the match.

Home favourite Viktorija Golubic toiled to a 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-2 win over Arantxa Rus, fourth seed Alison Van Uytvanck beat Tereza Smitkova 6-2 0-6 6-4 and Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea also took three sets to beat Mona Barthel 6-7 (6) 6-2 6-4.

At the Copa Colsanitas in Bogota, Colombia, qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia set up a second-round encounter with fourth seed Anna Schmiedlova after defeating Laura Siegemund 6-2 7-5, while the Slovakian beat Ysaline Bonaventure 6-2 6-4.

Also through to the next round are wild card Maria Osorio Serrano who defeated Conny Perrin 6-4 6-4, Varvara Lepchenko who saw off lucky loser Elitsa Kostova 6-3 6-1, Jasmine Paolini who prevailed in three sets over Francesca Di Lorenzo 6-2 3-6 6-4 and American Amanda Anisimova who beat Sabine Lisicki 4-6 6-3 6-2.