WTA

• Bartoli reaches second round in Stanford

  Stanford, CA (Sports Network) - Reigning champion Marion Bartoli was a first- round victor Tuesday at the $700,000 Bank of the West Classic tennis event.

  The former Wimbledon runner-up Bartoli handled American Ashley Harkleroad 6-1, 6-4 on the hardcourts at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

  The 25-year-old Harkleroad, from Georgia, is best known for becoming the first-ever American tennis player to pose for Playboy magazine, back in 2008. "Pebbles," as she is nicknamed, is also a mother, having given birth to a son in March of last year.

  Bartoli, seeded fourth this week, surprised American Venus Williams in last year's Stanford finale and was the runner-up here in 2008. The Frenchwoman lost to Williams in the 2007 Wimbledon final.

  This week's top seeds are French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur and Russian star Elena Dementieva, who has been sidelined by a calf injury since retiring from her semifinal match against eventual champion Francesca Schiavone at the French Open early last month.

  07/27 15:55:24 ET