Flushing Meadows, NY – Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska and sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber were easy opening-round winners Tuesday at the 2012 U.S. Open.
The second-seeded Radwanska routed Russian Nina Bratchikova 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 54 minutes at Ashe Stadium. The crafty Polish star converted on six-of-seven break-point chances in advancing.
Radwanska reached her first-ever Grand Slam final last month at Wimbledon, where she succumbed to American great Serena Williams. She will meet Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the round of 64, where Radwanska bowed out the last three years in Flushing.
The left-handed Kerber won her sixth match in seven tries in New York with a 6-2, 6-0 pasting of Britain's Anne Keothavong. Kerber was a surprise semifinalist here a year ago and leads the WTA in match wins this year (54-16).
Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-2 handling of Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. The 12th-seeded Serb is a former French Open champion and two-time Grand Slam runner-up.
Twentieth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci vaulted past Radwanska's younger sister Urszula, 6-1, 6-1, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Andrea Hlavackova drove out 24th-seeded fellow Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-4, 6-4, while Japan's Ayumi Morita dismissed 26th-seeded Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-3, and Russian Elena Vesnina knocked out 32nd-seeded Chinese Peng Shuai 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 on Day 2.
Also advancing at the final major of the year were Suarez Navarro, Russians Vera Dushevina and Ekaterina Makarova, Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva, Swede Sofia Arvidsson, Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino, and Serb Bojana Jovanovski.
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