Linz, Austria – Last week's Beijing champion Victoria Azarenka and former Linz titlist Ana Ivanovic were a pair of first-round winners Wednesday at the Generali Ladies Linz tennis tournament.
The world No. 1 Azarenka, this year's Australian Open titlist and U.S. Open runner-up, stayed hot by drilling helpless Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-0, 6-2 in 65 minutes on the indoor hardcourts at Tips Arena Linz.
The Belarusian Azarenka's second-round opponent on Thursday will be Romanian Simona Halep.
A second-seeded Ivanovic, meanwhile, got past Romania's Monica Niculescu 7-5, 6-3 in 1 hour, 15 minutes.
The former world No. 1 Ivanovic will meet fellow former Top-10 star Andrea Petkovic on Thursday. Ivanovic captured Linz titles in 2008 and 2010.
Fifth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 handling of Swiss Romina Oprandi, while Swedish veteran Sofia Arvidsson also reached the round of eight with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Czech Lucie Hradecka on Day 3. Goerges and Arvidsson will meet on Friday.
A first-round upset came when wild card and Austrian crowd favorite Patricia Mayr-Achleitner drubbed eighth-seeded German slugger Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-3.
The newest Linz titlist will earn $37,000.
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