History-chasing Kvitova through in Madrid, Sabalenka and Kontaveit out
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Petra Kvitova started her bid to secure a record-breaking Madrid Open title with a straight-sets defeat of Sofia Kenin.
Defending champion Kvitova is striving to be the first woman to win a Premier Mandatory tournament four times and eased into the second round with a 6-1 6-4 win on Saturday.
Up to second in the rankings after winning the Stuttgart Open last weekend, the two-time Wimbledon champion breezed into a 5-0 lead at the Caja Magica and went on to secure a meeting with Barbora Strycova or Kristina Mladenovic.
Kiki Bertens, runner-up last year in the Spanish capital last year, defeated Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-2 in the final match of the day.
Seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Anett Kontaveit bowed out with defeats to Svetlana Kuznetsova and Aliaksandra Sasnovich respectively on day one, while Ashleigh Barty knocked out fellow Australian Daria Gavrilova.
Second Round Bound
— WTA (@WTA) May 4, 2019
Defending champion @Petra_Kvitova starts off her campaign for a fourth #MMOPEN title with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Sofia Kenin. pic.twitter.com/X9jsPemLpr
KVITOVA IN CRUISE CONTROL
Kvitova carried on where she left off in Germany last week, dominating 20-year-old American Kenin in a one-sided opening set.
Kenin showed character to put up a fight in the second set, getting back on serve at 4-4 after going 2-0 down.
Kvitova broke straight back and served out the match, having served nine aces and won 71 per cent of points on her first serve.
BARTY DASHES GAVRILOVA HOPES
Barty claimed the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open in March and hit the ground running on clay.
The world number nine said she is ready to do some damage on what is her least favourite surface and showed no mercy on compatriot Gavrilova.
Barty attacked her Fed Cup team-mate's serve on Court Manolo Santana, breaking three times in each set to seal victory in only 65 minutes and book an encounter with Danielle Collins or Vera Zvonareva.
IN-FORM KONTAVEIT AND SABALENKA SLIP UP
Kontaveit was beaten by Kvitova in the Stuttgart decider last weekend after reaching the semi-finals of the Miami Open, but Sasnovich recovered from a first-set bagel to beat the 14th seed 0-6 6-3 6-2.
Wildcard Kuznetsova accounted for 10th seed Sabalenka 7-5 6-4, while Victoria Azarenka could face Sloane Stephens in round two after a 7-5 6-4 success over Daria Kasatkina.
Jelena Ostapenko, Caroline Garcia, Anastasija Sevastova and Yulia Putintseva also advanced.