Serena, Kvitova post wins at Wimbledon

Wimbledon, England – Four-time champion Serena Williams and reigning titlist Petra Kvitova were a pair of opening-round winners Tuesday at The Championships, Wimbledon.

The sixth-seeded Williams waltzed past Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2, 6-4 in 80 minutes on Court 2 at the All England Club. The 30-year-old Williams rebounded from her stunning opening-round loss at the French Open last month.

Williams owns 13 major titles, including the four here at Wimbledon, where she's also a two-time runner-up.

Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Czech slugger Kvitova handled Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4, 6-4, following a brief rain delay, on the famed Centre Court. Kvitova blew a match point just before rain sent the women off the court for about 30 minutes on Day 2.

Kvitova beat reigning French Open champion Maria Sharapova in last year's women's finale at the All England Club.

Twelfth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva completed a darkness-suspended match from Monday by besting German Mona Barthel 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Zvonareva was the Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up two years ago.

Rising 28th-seeded American Christina McHale edged out Britain's Johanna Konta 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 10-8 in a match that was suspended because of darkness on Monday with the score tied at 7-7 in the third set.

In other action involving seeds, Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens upended No. 19 Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-0; No. 24 Italian Francesca Schiavone overcame promising Brit Laura Robson 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; No. 25 Chinese Zheng Jie came back to beat Canadian Stephanie Dubois 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; and No. 31 Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova drilled veteran Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-1, 6-2.