Rome  - Top seed Dinara Safina and two-time champion Jelena Jankovic both stayed patient to wait out a day of rain before finally booking spots in the third round of the Rome International Tuesday.

For the second straight week at the Foro Italico, poor weather interrupted proceedings after postponements during the men's ATP event last Tuesday.

Safin waited most of the day to get onto the clay before going past Virgine Razzano of France 7-6 (7-1), 6-1.

Third seed Jankovic, winner of the last two editions, was interrupted in her second set but came back after the hours-long pause to eliminate Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-3, 7-6 (10-8).

The Serb was relieved to not have needed a third.

"It's difficult when it rains and then you have to stop and, you know, focus again and start. Especially when you stop at 5-5, it was very important for me to start well from the first point.

"I needed to win that second set. If you go into the third anything can happen. It would tire me out and complicate my life," said the 2008 year-end number one.

2008 finalist Alize Cronetof France was stunned with a loss to Kateryna Bondarenko of the Ukraine 6-4, 6-1, the only match completed before the weather moved in.

After the rain, conditions for the rest of the week look to be good with sun a major part of the forecast.

Two players turned their matches around after the interruption to advance.

China's 14th seed Zheng Jie overhauled Russian Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 while Anna Chakvetadze dumped Canadian Alkesandra Wozniak 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. (dpa)