Anna-Lena Friedsam could face fit-again top seed Lucie Safarova in the second round of the Generali Ladies Linz after beating Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets on Monday. 

Friedsam is ranked 41 places below Rybarikova, but was too strong for the Slovakian as she won 6-3 6-3 on the opening day of the indoor hard-court event.in Austria.

The German world number 118 clinically won five of the seven break points on the Rybarikova serve also fended off as many break points to seal her place in the second round.

Friedsam may now come up against Safarova, who will return to action for the first time since August when she takes on Andreea Mitu in the first round on Tuesday.

Safarova, ranked seventh in the world, has been sidelined since August after being hospitalised with a bacterial infection that kept her out of the entire Asian swing.

Kirsten Flipkens also defied the rankings to beat Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets.

The Belgian is 110th in the world, but got the better of world number 44 Lepchenko 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to set up a meeting with second seed Caroline Wozniacki or Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. 

Margarita Gasparyan also made it through to the second round at the expense of Carina Witthoft, who was beaten 6-3 2-6 6-3.