Normally a #1 player winning in straight sets in her first match of a tournament is not noteworthy at all, but this is no ordinary #1.

#1 Dinara Safina beat Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the China Open on Sunday in Beijing, her first straight sets win in seven matches, ending what had been a record drought for a #1 player.

Safina didn't play particularly well, broken in four of her ten service games and serving eight double faults, but she managed to win in straight sets against #59 Vinci, the highest ranked opponent she has beaten in her last four tournaments.

Her next match against Shuai Zhang should be pretty easy, so there's a chance for her to get some momentum and confidence back in China if she takes advantage of her opportunities.