In the last game of the day, Russian third seed Svetlana Kutznestsova also struggled before outlasting Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, ranked 23rd in the world, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in two hours and 31 minutes.

Top seed Henin, who had played her last competitive match when she won last year's season-ending WTA Tour championships in Madrid on Nov. 12, won 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in 82 minutes.

"It's never easy to return to competition. I always have problems. In the first set, I didn't play very well but I was expecting it, then I found a better rhythm," the Belgian said.

Henin, who lost her world number one spot to Maria Sharapova [ Images ] after skipping the Australian Open [ Images ] following a split from her husband, will face Tatiana Golovin [ Images ] or Russian qualifier Ekaterina Bychkova in the quarter-finals.

Golovin defeated fellow Frenchwoman Alize Cornet [ Images ] 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday. Bychkova ousted sixth seed Patty Schnyder [ Images ] of Switzerland [ Images ] on Tuesday.

Also on Wednesday, Camille Pin, ranked number 75 in the world, came close to upsetting Russian seventh seed Dinara Safina [ Images ], winner of the tournament in 2005.

The diminutive French player served for the match but lost 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 in two hours and 13 minutes.

Russian eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze [ Images ] powered through to the second round with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of compatriot Olga Poutchkova, winning 10 games in a row to wrap up her win in 52 minutes.

She will meet Anabel Medina Garrigues for a place in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard defeated Frenchwoman Severine Bremond 6-2, 7-5.