Kvitova opens China Open with win

BEIJING, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- World No. 5 Petra Kvitova posted a solid first-round win Saturday, the first day of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing.

Kvitova defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-3 in just more than an hour. She won nearly three-quarters of the points on serve and more than half (27-25) when receiving.

She took advantage of Hantuchova's second serve, winning 17 of the 22 points in those situations.

No. 11-seeded Ana Ivanovic was on the court 59 minutes in dispatching Christina McHale 6-3, 6-2. She didn't face a break point and cashed in all three of her break chances.

Yaroslava Shvedova was up 6-4, 6-1 when 12th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova was unable to continue the match.

Zhang Shuai beat Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-2 in a battle of local wild-card entrants but Hsieh Su-Wei ousted another wild card -- Zheng Saisai -- 6-2, 6-3.

Other results Saturday saw Varvara Lepchenko get by Tsvetana Pironkova 7-5, 6-4; Romina Oprandi come away a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Urszula Radwanska; and Carla Suarez Navarro handle Timea Bacsinszky 6-4, 6-1.

The China Open, a WTA Premier Mandatory event, features nine of the Top 10 ranked players in the world. Only fourth-ranked Serena Williams, who withdrew due to the flu, is not in the field.