Memphis, TN – Top seed Kirsten Flipkens and reigning champion Sofia Arvidsson were a pair of first-round winners Monday at the $235,000 U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships.
The Belgian Flipkens whipped Israeli Shahar Peer 6-2, 6-2, while the second-seeded Arvidsson erased Slovakian qualifier Jana Cepelova 6-4, 6-4 on the hardcourts at The Racquet Club of Memphis. Peer was a Memphis runner-up back in 2007.
The Swedish veteran Arvidsson beat New Zealand's Marina Erakovic in last year's final to capture a second Memphis title in her third final here. Arvidsson also titled here back in 2006.
Erakovic moved on Monday with a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 victory over German Annika Beck.
Meanwhile, American Jamie Hampton handled Spanish wild card Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-3, American wild card Victoria Duval overcame Swede Johanna Larsson 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko downed American qualifier Maria Sanchez 6-2, 6-4, Kristina Mladenovic took out Courtney Collins 6-3, 6-1 and Stefanie Vogele defeated Silvia Soler-Espinos 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.
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