FES, Morocco, April 28 (UPI) -- Seventh-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea and eighth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova advanced Monday at the opening of the Moroccan Grand Prix.

Cirstea defeated New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Makarova beat Slovenian Andreja Klepac 6-2, 6-3.

Also in first-round play Monday, 18-year-old Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva beat Britain's Elena Baltacha 7-5, 6-2.

It was Karatantcheva's first WTA Tour match since November 2005. She had been serving a doping suspension since January 2006.