Bausch & Lomb Championships

Seles needed a trainer to help her continue

Monica Seles overcame a neck injury to beat Anca Barna and advance to the third round of the Bausch & Lomb Championships on Wednesday.

Seles, playing her first match after a seven-week break to allow a stress fracture to her right foot to recover, almost withdrew from the tournament waking with a stiff neck on Tuesday.

But the sixth-seed took the court and overcame Barna 2-6 7-6 6-3 after needing a trainer a massage her neck in the first set.

"I really couldn't move it at all," Seles said after the match.

"I couldn't practice, nothing. It was one of those things where you're stuck. You can't look to the left or right."

"I just really came down here wanting to get some matches and have a good time."

Seles won on the clay at Amelia Island in 1999 and 2000, will play a third-round match Thursday against 10th-seeded Nathalie Dechy, who defeated Maria Vento-Kabchi in three sets.

Coming off her surprise victory over Serena Williams last week at the Family Circle Cup, top-seed Justine Henin-Hardenne opened with a 6-3 6-0 victory over Dally Randriantefy.

"It gave me a lot of confidence, but this week is another week," she said of her win over the world number one.

The Belgian will get a bye in the next round after 14th-seeded Clarisa Fernandez withdrew with a sprained wrist.

Fifth-seeded Jelena Dokic defeated Slovenia's Tina Pisnik 7-5 5-7 6-1 to move into the third round.

Seventh seed Patty Schnyder went through after her opponent Maja Matevzic withdrew with an ankle injury.

10th-seeded Elena Dementieva downed countrywoman Lina Krasnoroustskaya 6-1 7-5.