Linz, Austria – Fifth-seeded Julia Goerges and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands were among Tuesday's opening-round winners at the $220,000 Generali Ladies Linz tennis event.
The German Goerges knocked out Slovakian veteran Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), while the qualifier Mattek-Sands ousted seventh-seeded Austrian crowd favorite Tamira Paszek 6-2, 6-4 on the indoor hardcourts at Tips Arena Linz. Hantuchova captured this event back in 2007.
Goerges will play Swiss Romina Oprandi in a second-rounder on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, American qualifier Mallory Burdette straight-setted Russian lucky- loser Ksenia Pervak 6-3, 6-4 and wild card and former top-10 German Andrea Petkovic bested Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.
Additional first-round wins came for Oprandi, Croat Petra Martic, Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens, Romanians Simona Halep and lucky-loser Irina- Camelia Begu, and Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.
On Wednesday, world No. 1 star Victoria Azarenka will face Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus and second-seeded former top-ranked Serb Ana Ivanovic will meet Romanian Monica Niculescu. Ivanovic was the Linz champion in 2008 and 2010.
The Australian Open titlist and U.S. Open runner-up Azarenka, of Belarus, is fresh off her title last week in Beijing.
The newest Linz titlist will earn $37,000.
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