By Chris Oddo | Monday October 3, 2016
Angelique Kerber advanced in straight sets past Katerina Siniakova to reach the second round of the Chinese Open.
Photo Source: Daniel Lee/Getty
Angelique Kerber eased past a strong effort from 20-year-old Czech Katerina Siniakova to book her spot in the second round of the China Open on Monday. The World No. 1 earned her 56th victory of the season by notching a 6-4, 6-4 decision in 76 minutes.
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Siniakova, playing at a career-high ranking of 51, provided stiff competition for Kerber, but it was the steely German who notched the critical break in the ninth game of the opener before closing out the set and taking the first three games of the second set. Siniakova would reclaim one of the lost breaks but Kerber held serve in her final three service games to clinch her second win in two career matches with the Czech.
Six of the top eight seeds were in action on Monday in Beijing, and there was one major upset.
World No. 223 Peng Shuai knocked off Venus Williams, 7-5, 6-1, for her first Top 10 win since she knocked off Agnieszka Radwanska en route to her lone Grand Slam semifinal appearance at the 2014 U.S. Open.
Shuai won nine straight games from 3-5 down in the opening set to stun Williams. The 30-year-old is working her way back from back surgery that she underwent last July.
“I’ve made efforts in the tennis world for more than two decades,” Shuai said. “I sacrificed a lot of youth, time and energy. I’d like to take time to see if I can go further or not.”
Peng will face Caroline Garcia in the second round.
No. 2-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza got past Yulia Putintseva in a fairly close straight set battle. The defending champion served for a less complicated victory twice in the second set but ended up having to finish things in the tiebreaker for a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory.
No.3-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska (d. Makarova, 6-3, 6-4), No. 5-seeded Karolina Pliskova (d. Safarova, 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-4) and No.8-seeded Madison Keys (d. Mladenovic, 7-5, 6-4) were also victorious on Day 3 at Beijing.
Radwanska and Pliskova are closing in on Singapore qualification, while Keys is expanding her lead over 9th-place Carla Suárez Navarro.