By Alberto Amalfi | Tuesday, June 14, 2016
No. 2-seeded Angelique Kerber and fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova both advanced to the Birmingham second round with straight-sets wins.
Photo credit: British Tennis
Former grass-court champions beat the rain and dangerous opponents in Birmingham.
Reigning champion Angelique Kerber dropped just four points on her first serve and did not face a break point defeating Peng Shuai, 7-6 (3), 6-3, in 83 minutes.
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On a soggy day, the Australian Open champion got back on the winning track. Kerber snapped a three-match losing streak in her first match since falling to Kiki Bertens in her Roland Garros opener.
A forehand winner down the line helped Kerber take control in the opening-set tiebreak.
The sturdy German is a quicker mover around the court than Peng, whose reach is restricted by playing two hands off both sides. Kerber has won eight of her last nine matches in Birmingham.
The second-seeded Kerber will play either Daria Gavrilova or Briton Naomi Broady in round two.
Two-time former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova won five of the first seven games storming past Czech countrywoman Lucie Safarova, 6-3, 6-2, in an all-lefty match-up.
Clad in identical indigo Nike outfits, the friends engaged in some crackling rallies. Kvitova was in control through, backing up her flat strokes with some dynamic net play.
"I love to play on the grass," Kvitova said. "We have one extra week between Paris and Wimbledon, which is great for us, more time to prepare for Wimbledon.”
The fifth-seeded Kvitova will take on Jelena Ostapenko in the second round. Kvitova requested a wild card into Birmingham to gain match play for Wimbledon, which starts on June 27th.
“(I came here) because I lost in Paris in the first week of the Grand Slam," Kvitova said. "And I think the beginning of season wasn't really perfect for me and I think I'm kind of missing the matches.”
In another all-Czech opening-round encounter, Barbora Strycova topped her sometime Fed Cup doubles partner Karolina Pliskova, 6-4, 7-6 (7).
It was the 30-year-old Strycova's first win over her compatriot and friend.
The eighth-seeded Pliskova was fresh off her first career grass-court title in Nottingham.
Strycova will face 55th-ranked Briton Heather Watson next in their second meeting of the season. The Czech swept Watson in Rome last month.
Qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova needed just 65 minutes to dismiss Lesia Tsurenko, 6-4, 6-2.
Andrea Petkovic was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Magda Linette.
Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was deadlocked with 's-Hertogenbosch champion CoCo Vandeweghe, 4-all, when another rain delay suspended player.