In Battle of Neighbors, Falconi Prevails PARIS - Irina Falconi of the United States roared back from a faltering first set to defeat Edina Gallovits-Hall of Romania, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, in the first round of the French Open. Falconi, 22, broke her opponent's serve in the ninth game of the second set to begin to turn the match in her favor. She got Gallovits-Hall, 27, to slice a backhand into the net and then slap a backhand service return long, tying the match at a set apiece after 93 minutes. "The second set, I got it together," Falconi said, crediting a fitness regimen she and her coach, Jeff Wilson, maintain to give her the strength to stay focused. I started playing and hitting through the ball a little bit more, instead of just rolling the ball. And I just kept at it. I never let it go. On match point, Falconi slammed a backhand down the line to claim the victory, bending at the knees to peer across the net at the ball's mark to confirm she had hit a winner. The result was a mild upset. Falconi is ranked 112th in the world, and Gallovits-Hall is 89th. In one of the recurring oddities of international play, both Falconi and Gallovits-Hall live in Atlanta, and both were born outside the United States, Falconi in Ecuador and Gallovits-Hall in Romania. The two opponents had practiced together in Atlanta and when the French Open draw was announced, they discussed the fact that they could have played in their hometown, perhaps at a local club named for Bitsy Grant, an American who was one of the world's leading men's players in the 1930s. It was amusing, Falconi said, "you end up playing your neighbor." Falconi's next match will be against sixth-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia, who defeated Elena Baltacha of Great Britain in straight sets. Two months ago, Stosur defeated Falconi, 6-0, 6-3, at Indian Wells, Calif. "She showed me why she won the U.S. Open," Falconi said, but insisted she looked forward to their encounter as an opportunity for an upset or a promising showing on a major stadium court at Roland Garros.