Govortsova dropped the first set to wild-card entrant Han Xinyun before posting a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win and advancing to the second round of the $220,000 hard-court tournament.
Also Monday, Alexandra Panova survived a third-set tiebreaker in topping Yuriko Sema 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7) and Akgul Amanmuradova sailed through a 6-3, 6-2 win over Rika Fujiwara.
The tournament begins in earnest Tuesday with 13 first-round matches, including No. 1-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues facing Kimiko Date Krumm.
Local favorite Zheng Jie had been seeded second in the tournament but withdrew Monday because of a wrist injury. Abigail Spears was then given a spot in the field and Maria Elena Camerin was made the No. 9 seed and installed in Zheng's slot in the bracket.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
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