Mona Barthel of Germany had a 6-1, 6-2 win over 37-year-old
American Jill Craybas to set up a second-round match with top-ranked Victoria
Azarenka, who won the season's first major at the Australian Open.
Azarenka had a first-round bye, along with defending
champion Caroline Wozniacki, who lost her No. 1 ranking at Melbourne Park in
January, and the other seeded players.
Wozniacki said when she practiced Tuesday evening "it
was like a hurricane, it was so windy and cold." The weather hadn't
changed much Wednesday, when the 12-day, $11 million event got under way with
16 women's singles matches in gusting winds.
No. 4-ranked Wozniacki didn't have to play, so she could sit
and watch, and empathize with those who did.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova said in those
conditions "it's not really about the tennis," as much as just
keeping the ball in play.
Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic got the first win of
the tournament, a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Laura Pous-Tio of Spain. Galina
Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan, Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, Carla Suarez Navarro
of Spain and Sorana Cirstea of Romania also moved into the next round.
Jamie Hampton routed Polona Hercog of Slovakia, 6-1, 6-1, in
the opening match on center court, but her fellow American Coco Vandeweghe lost
to Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
American Sloane Stephens beat Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, 4-6,
7-5, 7-6 (7) in a match that took more than three hours and Vania King rallied
from a 3-1 deficit in the second set to eliminate Italy's Sara Errani 7-6 (3),
6-4.
Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, Elena Visnina of
Russia, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic and Sania Mirza of
India were the other opening-day winners.
