Bartoli rallies to beat Morita in Tokyo

Marion Bartoli of France rallied from a set down to defeat Ayumi Morita of Japan 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in the second-round of the Pan Pacific Open on Monday.

The seventh-seeded Bartoli had the better of what was largely a baseline battle in 2 hours, 18 minutes, overpowering Morita with a strong backhand in a final set that saw breaks of serve in the first three games.

Serving to stay in the match, Morita staved off four match points before finally succumbing at Ariake Colosseum.

Earlier, 12th-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia beat qualifier Anastasia Rodionova of Australia 6-4, 6-0 in the first round.

Second-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia will meet unseeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand in a late match.

Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, the top-seed in the $2,000,000 tournament, will meet the winner of the match between Rebecca Marino of Canada and Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia on Tuesday.

The annual Pan Pacific Open is normally an outdoor event, but rain in the late morning forced the closure of the roof over the main court and the suspension of play on the outdoor courts.