Pierce, competing in just her second event since February, showed signs of rust Tuesday as Russian teenager Nadia Petrova dumped the 10th seed, 6-2, 6-4, in a first-round match at the $1.2 million Italian Open tennis event.

Top seed Martina Hingis, meanwhile, had no trouble in her second-round match with a Russian opponent. Seeking her first title since February, Hingis dispatched Tatiana Panova, 6-2, 6-3.

Pierce withdrew from tournaments at Scottsdale and Indian Wells with tendinitis in both feet. Back problems forced her out of Amelia Island and kept her in check at Charleston, where she lost in the third round. She has won just six of 13 matches this year.

"I know I have to work on a lot of things," Pierce said. "Obviously my game is not where I would like it to be at the moment, but I am not going to get down on myself or be negative about it."

The 18-year-old Petrova, ranked No. 60 in the world, reached the semifinals at Amelia Island, but is just 9-8 overall in 2001.

Hingis, the 1998 champion and 1996 runner-up, has won three titles this season, but none since capturing consecutive Middle Eastern events in February.

The 20-year-old from Switzerland began her claycourt season with a quarterfinal showing at the Bausch & Lomb Championships. In April, she reached the final at the Family Circle Cup before losing to American Jennifer Capriati, who beat Hingis in the Australian Open final in January.

Last week, Hingis fell in the semifinals at the German Open in Berlin to eventual winner Amelie Mauresmo of France.

Four-time champion and third seed Conchita Martinez of Spain also cruised into the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Slovakian qualifier Janette Husarova.

The third-seeded Martinez, who won four straight titles here from 1993-1996, is just 6-4 this season on clay -- her best surface. Last year, she went 22-6 on the dirt, losing to Pierce in the French Open final.

In another second-round encounter, qualifier Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia crushed countrywoman Henrieta Nagyova, 6-0, 6-1.

Another Russian teenager posted a first-round upset as 17-year-old Lina Krasnoroutskaya upended ninth seed Anke Huber, 6-2, 6-3, handing the German her fourth straight loss.

Also, local favorite Silvia Farina Elia eliminated No. 12 Sandrine Testud of France, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, and Russia's Elena Likhovtseva ousted No. 15 Barbara Schett of Austria, 6-2, 6-4.

In other opening-round play, No. 13 Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States got past Italy's Rita Grande, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1; No. 14 Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia downed Sweden's Asa Carlsson, 6-3, 6-2; and No. 17 Paola Suarez of Argentina rallied past Cara Black of Zimbabwe, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

First prize is $176,000.