Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Four-time champion Serena Williams
and reigning titlist Petra Kvitova were a pair of opening-round winners
Tuesday at The Championships, Wimbledon.
The sixth-seeded Williams waltzed past Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2,
6-4 in 80 minutes on Court 2 at the All England Club. The 30-year-old Williams
rebounded from her stunning opening-round loss at the French Open last month.
Williams owns 13 major titles, including the four here at Wimbledon, where
she's also a two-time runner-up.
Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Czech slugger Kvitova handled Uzbekistan's Akgul
Amanmuradova 6-4, 6-4, following a brief rain delay, on the famed Centre
Court. Kvitova blew a match point just before rain sent the women off the
court for about 30 minutes on Day 2.
Kvitova beat reigning French Open champion Maria Sharapova in last year's
women's finale at the All England Club.
Twelfth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva completed a darkness-suspended match
from Monday by besting German Mona Barthel 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Zvonareva was
the Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up two years ago.
Rising 28th-seeded American Christina McHale edged out Britain's Johanna Konta
6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 10-8 in a match that was suspended because of darkness on
Monday with the score tied at 7-7 in the third set.
In other action involving seeds, Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens upended No. 19 Czech
Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-0; No. 24 Italian Francesca Schiavone overcame promising
Brit Laura Robson 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; No. 25 Chinese Zheng Jie came back to
beat Canadian Stephanie Dubois 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; and No. 31 Russian Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova drilled veteran Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-1, 6-2.
The Sports Network