Former
world number one Caroline Wozniacki stopped Karin Knapp's good run on
clay this season with a 6-3, 6-0 win to reach the second round of the
French Open.
Knapp arrived in Paris on the back of her second career title at the Nuremberg Open last week and with an 8-2 record on clay.
But she was no match for the fifth-seeded Wozniacki, who made it to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros five years ago.
Wozniacki saved the only break point she faced in the first set and limited her mistakes to nine unforced errors.
Elsewhere, Czech fourth-seed Petra Kvitova dug deep to reach the second round as she laboured to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory against New Zealand's Marina Erakovic.
The double Wimbledon champion looked nothing like the player who
defeated world number one Serena Williams en route the Madrid Open
claycourt title earlier this month as she put in a shaky performance on
court Philippe Chatrier.
"I knew it would be difficult, I always struggle at the beginning of tournaments," Kvitova, who will next take on either France's Pauline Parmentier or Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain.
Results:
Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-4 6-3
5-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 6-3 6-0
32-Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) beat Dinah Pfizenmaier (Germany) 6-4 6-1
4-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 6-4 3-6 6-4
Julia Goerges (Germany) beat CoCo Vandeweghe (U.S.) 6-2 5-7 6-1
18-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-1 4-6 6-2
Tereza Smitkova (Czech Republic) beat Taylor Townsend (U.S.) 6-3 6-4
Knapp arrived in Paris on the back of her second career title at the Nuremberg Open last week and with an 8-2 record on clay.
But she was no match for the fifth-seeded Wozniacki, who made it to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros five years ago.
Wozniacki saved the only break point she faced in the first set and limited her mistakes to nine unforced errors.
Elsewhere, Czech fourth-seed Petra Kvitova dug deep to reach the second round as she laboured to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory against New Zealand's Marina Erakovic.
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| Kvitova is a two-time Wimbledon champion [Reuters] |
"I knew it would be difficult, I always struggle at the beginning of tournaments," Kvitova, who will next take on either France's Pauline Parmentier or Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain.
Results:
Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-4 6-3
5-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 6-3 6-0
32-Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) beat Dinah Pfizenmaier (Germany) 6-4 6-1
4-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 6-4 3-6 6-4
Julia Goerges (Germany) beat CoCo Vandeweghe (U.S.) 6-2 5-7 6-1
18-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-1 4-6 6-2
Tereza Smitkova (Czech Republic) beat Taylor Townsend (U.S.) 6-3 6-4
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies