Former champion Kvitova makes winning start in Tokyo

September 21, 2016 | 17:05

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TOKYO: Former champion Petra Kvitova stormed through her opening match at the Pan Pacific Open on Tuesday (Sep 20), beating American Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-3 in a flurry of swashbuckling winners.

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic beat American Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan, (AFP/Toru Yamanaka)

The 26-year-old Czech, twice a Wimbledon winner, had too much firepower for Brengle in a match played under a closed roof due to typhoon rains in Tokyo.

Seventh seed Kvitova will next play Rio Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig of Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia overcame another Czech, Lucie Safarova, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 to set up a second-round match with fast-rising Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka.

"I've seen her play a few times," Cibulkova said of Osaka. "She has a powerful serve and it's always tough playing against these young players -- they are fearless and have nothing to lose."

In other matches, Denmark's former world number one Caroline Wozniacki battled to a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 victory over Switzerland's Belinda Bencic.

Elsewhere on a day badly affected by the weather, Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova beat Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 7-6, 6-3 while Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus overcame Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

First round:

Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5

Magda Linette (POL) bt Olesya Pervushina (RUS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-2, 5-7, 6-1
Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-3, 6-3
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) bt Varatchaya Wongteanchai (THA) 6-1, 6-1

AFP

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