Serena, Kvitova and Li win openers in Toronto

Toronto, ON – Two-time champion Serena Williams was a straight-set winner in the second round Wednesday at the $2.369 million Rogers Cup.

Williams ousted Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-2. Williams captured this event in 2001 and 2011 and was the runner-up in 2000.

Last year's runner-up Li Na and Petra Kvitova were also easy second-round winners.

The fourth-seeded Chinese star handled Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-4 on the hardcourts at Rexall Centre. The former French Open champion and two-time Australian Open runner-up won following a lengthy rain delay on Day 3.

Li lost to Kvitova in last year's Rogers Cup finale in Montreal, as this tournament shifts between Toronto and Montreal each year.

The Czech slugger Kvitova downed Eugenie Bouchard, 6-3, 6-2.

Australian Samantha Sotosure, who was the was the Toronto runner-up two years ago and last week's titlist in Carlsbad ousted Spain's Calra Suarez Navarro, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 and The former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-4. Ivanovic was the champion in Toronto in 2006.

Ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki fell to Sorana Cirstea in three sets, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4. Wozniacki was the Rogers Cup titlist in 2010

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded gritty Italian Sara Errani reached the round of 16 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory over Czech veteran Klara Zakopalova and seventh-seeded Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli landed in the win column by drilling American qualifier Lauren Davis, 6-0, 6-3. The French star Bartoli will face hot Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday.

In other action involving seeds, No. 10 Roberta Vinci of Italy erased Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 6-4, France's Alize Cornet upended No. 11 Russian Maria Kirilenko 7-5, 7-5, No. 14 American Sloane Stephens held off German Mona Barthel 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, and No. 15 Serb Jelena Jankovic topped Canadian wild card Sharon Fichman 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). The former world No. 1 Jankovic was the Toronto runner-up back in 2007.

Also on Day 3, Rybarikova dismissed American Varvara Lepchenko 6-4, 6-2. Rybarikova captured her second straight Washington, D.C., title last week.

The newest Rogers Cup titlist will claim $426,000.