Birmingham, June 14 :

India’s Sania Mirza showed her gratitude to be on grass and off clay in beating Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 at the DFS Classic on Tuesday.

Mirza has been struggling with injuries this season — the latest to her back and wrist — and lost in the first round of five of her 10 tournaments. “I like playing on grass much more than on clay, so I hope to have more success in the next few weeks,” she said. “Grass really suits my game as it’s so fast and I like the bounce. It helps as I take risks to win matches.”

Her’s was one of only four matches to be completed before rain ended the day’s play prematurely. That forced organizers to schedule 30 matches on Wednesday to complete the first round. Other winners on Tuesday included China’s Peng Shuai, who defeated Australian qualifier Nicole Pratt 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; American Bethanie Mattek defeated Germany’s Julia Schruff 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-1, and Slovakia’s Jarmila Gajdosova beat China’s Yuan Meng 6-3, 6-4.

Gerry Weber Open

HALLE: Former No 1 Marat Safin edged 2005 finalist Florent Serra of France 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open on Tuesday.

“I’m still struggling with confidence,” Safin said. “At the start, I was missing my rhythm. It is difficult playing my first match on grass to find a way. I’m feeling pretty fit.”

Sixth-seeded Tommy Haas beat Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 7-5. Haas served seven aces and converted two of five breakpoint chances. “I was pleased with the way I served,” Haas said. “It’s always tough playing an opponent you don’t know.”

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic served his way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over German qualifier Benjamin Becker. Earlier, Richard Gasquet of France beat Swiss George Bastl 6-2, 6-3. Gasquet served nine aces and hit 17 winners to set up a possible second-round match against Roger Federer, who plays India’s Rohan Bopanna on Wednesday. France’s Fabrice Santoro, the 2001 finalist, defeated Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-2.