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Peng takes easy first-round win at Shenzhen Open

Peng Shuai, shown during the 2012 French Open, was a first-round winner Sunday at the WTA season-opening Shenzhen Open in China. UPI/David Silpa
Peng Shuai, shown during the 2012 French Open, was a first-round winner Sunday at the WTA season-opening Shenzhen Open in China. UPI/David Silpa | License Photo

SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- No. 5-seeded Peng Shuai rolled to a first-round win Sunday at the Shenzhen Open in China, one of three events on the first week of the 2014 WTA schedule.

Peng defeated Liu Fangzhou 6-1, 6-3 in 70 minutes. She was good on nearly two-thirds of her first serves and won 71 percent of the points on serve. Peng successfully fought off all three break points she faced.

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She also cashed in four of her own six break opportunities and took more than half (29-of-53) of the points when Liu served.

Silvia Soler-Espinosa got past Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in a first-round match Sunday that took nearly 2 hours. Soler-Espnsa won the only break chance she had in the first set and needed three breaks to force the second-set tiebreaker.

Li Na, ranked third in the world, is the tournament defending champion and No. 1 seed. She meets Vera Zvonareva in her first-round match.

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