Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Promising American teen CiCi Bellis and her compatriot Madison Brengle were a pair of easy first-round winners Tuesday at the $5.3 million Miami Open tennis event.
Playing in her first WTA-level match of the year and only the third of her career, the 15-year-old San Francisco native Bellis blew past Dutchwoman Indy De Vroome 6-2, 6-2 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park.
Meanwhile, the Delaware native Brengle whipped Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic 6-0, 6-2 and will face U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki in the second round.
In other first-round matchups, Swede Johanna Larsson topped Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 7-6 (7-4); Estonian Kaia Kanepi drubbed Canadian Francoise Abanda 6-2, 6-3; France's Kristina Mladenovic dismissed Czech Klara Koukalova 6-4, 6-4; Slovak Anna Schmiedlova drilled Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-3, 6-2 and Italian Karin Knapp took care of Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-0.
Also, Czech Tereza Smitkova rallied past Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva 0-6, 7-5, 6-2; Serbian Bojana Jovanovski beat German Mona Barthel 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Japan's Kurumi Nara eased past Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-3 and 17-year-old Spaniard Paula Badosa Gibert, making her WTA debut, drubbed Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-1, 6-1.
The top seeds in South Florida are world No. 1 superstar Serena Williams, former top-ranked star Maria Sharapova, last week's Indian Wells champ Simona Halep, and the former No. 1 Wozniacki. The reigning Australian and U.S. Open champion Williams captured a seventh Miami championship by beating Li Na in last year's finale. The reigning Roland Garros titlist Sharapova is a five- time Miami runner-up.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion Williams will open up Friday against Romanian Monica Niculescu, who handled American Shelby Rogers 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 on Day 1.
The 2015 Miami champion will earn $900,400.
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