Top seed Ana Ivanovic on Monday needed to escape a first set that lasted one hour on the way to a struggling 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech teenager Petra Kvitova at the Brisbane International.

The Serb top seed and defending French Open winner found herself in a battle. "I had to fight for each point (but) it was good in the first match of the year," she said.

"It could have gone either way, but I stayed tough and made her hit as many balls as possible. I'm very happy to get this victory."

Her boyfriend Fernando Verdasco of Spain also claimed a win on the night, defeating Aussie teenaged wildcard Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-2.

Three other seeded women were beaten, with number five Amelie Mauresmo, a former Australian Open winner, joining Ivanovic in the second round.

The Frenchwoman fought off wild card Jelena Dokic 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-5) as the Serbian-Australian made her return to the game after winning an Aussie Open wild card in a playoff last month.

Sara Errani of Italy ambushed Slovak fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-0 while Olga Govortsova of Belarus ousted Italian number eight Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 6-2.

Australian Samantha Stosur got a welcome home win as she defeated Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama, the number nine, 6-2, 6-3.

In the men's play, the confidence of former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis took a minor hit as the Cypriot crashed out 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

Nieminen preyed upon the injury-hit Baghdatis, who changed coaches in the off-season as he desperately tries to rescue his game.

Baghdatis, the 2006 Melbourne finalist against Roger Federer, admitted that he's not fully recovered from back and other injuries which compromised his 2008 season.

The number 98 needed the trainer after Nieminen roared back to take the second set. "Physically I wasn't fit," he admitted. "I'm not match fit.

"That's what I need to work on for the next 15 days before my next tournament. I'm hitting the ball well, but I've got to keep working."

Nieminen was pleased to start out so well. "I'm happy I could turn it around. I had some break points in the first set that I didn't use.

"But I played more aggressive in the second, moving much better. I'm happy with how I played and the fact that I won."

Baghdatis complained of tightness in his hamstring, a chronic problem last season. "I'm happy I played a very good first set," he said.

"But it was the first set of the year and for a long time so I have to be pretty happy with the way I was playing."

Czech Radek Stepanek, seeded eighth, had a no-stress outing as he thrashed Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-2.