Wozniacki wins in straight sets in Osaka

OSAKA, Japan, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- No. 1-seed Caroline Wozniacki needed just 55 minutes Tuesday in opening defense of her $220,000 HP Japan Women's Open championship.

Wozniacki took out Japan's Ayumi Morita 6-4, 6-1 by cashing in all three break-point opportunities and holding serve each of her nine service games in the first-round match.

Wozniacki, who broke a three-match losing streak with the victory, won 84 percent of the points when she got her first serve in.

All of the seeded players on Tuesday's 10-match card won in straight sets. No. 2-seeded Marion Bartoli stopped Galina Voskoboeva 6-3, 7-5 while third-seeded Samantha Stosur beat Alexandra Panova 6-2, 6-4 and No. 6-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak topped Sophie Ferguson 6-1, 7-5.

In addition to Morita, another local favorite was defeated when Kimiko Date Krumm lost to Jill Craybas 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

But Akiko Morigami advanced with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 triumph over Anastasia Rodionova and wild-card entrant Kurumi Nara beat Chanelle Scheepers 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-2.

Also Tuesday in the first round, Kai-Chen Chang won 7-5, 6-1 over Tamarine Tanasugarn; Vania King beat Julie Coin 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Yung-Jan Chan ripped Carly Gullickson 6-1, 6-1 in 45 minutes.