NEW HAVEN (Connecticut), Aug 23: Meghann Shaughnessy thanked a radical change in tactics for a dramatic victory over France’s Nathalie Dechy here on Monday to reach the second round of a 600,000-dollar WTA tournament.

The unseeded American kept her head in long baseline duels and unsettled Dechy, the 2004 runner-up here, with big serves and soldi retrieving on the way to a 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-4 upset over a foe who won their nine prior meetings.

“Shes been the biggest nightmare for me. Ive lost to her the most than any other player,” Shaughnessy said.

Shuaghnessy, 26, received a last-minute wild-card after Russian Anastasia Myskina pulled out of the final tuneup for the US Open, which starts next Monday in New York.

Both players held their deliveries until the first set tie-breaker, which Shaughnessy dominated.

Fifteenth-ranked Dechy, 26, fought back into the match, breaking her opponent for the first time in the fourth game to win the second set.

After trading service breaks in the final set, 60th-ranked Shaughnessy raced up 3-1 but let her lead slip away before rallying.

All four Russians in action booked safe passage into round two on the very day Maria Sharapova became the first Russian to ascend to the WTA’s top ranking.

Maria Kirilenko blasted Italys Silvia Farina Elia 6-1, 6-3. Anna Chakvetadze took a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 triumph over Serbias Jelena Jankovic.

Vera Douchevina humbled Chinese rising standout Peng Shuai 6-4, 6-4 and Elena Likhovtseva saved a match point on the way to a 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 victory over France’s Marion Bartoli.

Results (first round)

Davide Sanguinetti (ITA) bt Kevin Kim (USA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3; Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-3, 6-4; Scoville Jenkins (USA) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Victor Hanescu (ROM) bt Luis Horna (PER) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5); Stefan Koubek (AUT) bt Bobby Reynolds (USA) 6-3, 6-4; Cyril Saulnier (FRA) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 6-3, 6-2; Tomas Zib (CZE) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Jan Hernych (CZE) 6-0, 6-4; Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; Justin Gimelstob (USA) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)

Men’s singles (first round)

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-0 6-4; Cyril Saulnier (France) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-3 6-2; Tomas Zib (Czech Republic) bt Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 6-4 3-6 6-3; Stefan Koubek (Austria) bt Bobby Reynolds (United States) 6-3 6-4; Victor Hanescu (Romania) bt Luis Horna (Peru) 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 7-6(5); Scoville Jenkins (United States) bt Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 2-6 6-3 6-4; Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) bt Kevin Kim (United States) 7-6(6) 6-3; Igor Andreev (Russia) bt Juan Monaco (Argentina) 6-3 6-4; Justin Gimelstob (United States) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 3-6 7-5 7-6(4); Andreas Seppi (Italy) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 1-6 6-3 6-4.—Agencies