TWO future stars of the WTA Tour and one already accomplished Grand Slam winner flexed their muscles in straight sets wins on Day 1 of the Adelaide International. Seventh seed American, Sofia Kenin took just 63 minutes to bowl over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 6-0 6-4. Switzerland’s brightest hope and fourth seed, Belinda Bencic had better luck, downing Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, while in the night game, Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber cruised past China’s Qiang Wang in 82 minutes for a 6-1 6-3 triumph.

It was also great news for Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic who won 7-6 6-2 against highly fancied Kazakhstan player, Yulia Putintseva in just under two hours, 7-6 6-2. Tomljanovic sets up a second round encounter with number two seed, Simona Halep. Kerber takes on Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in the second round after the latter downed Hungarian, Timea Babos, 7-5 6-3. It will also be an all American battle in Round 2 between Kenin and Danielle Collins, after Collins easily cruised past rankings slider, Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-3 6-2. Meanwhile, Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will now face top seed and tournament favourite Ash Barty after the Australian had a bye in the opening round. Pavlyuchenkova defeated Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-4 in Round 1.

In the other remaining result from Day 1, Donna Vekic won in the only three set contest thus far, coming from a set down to defeat Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, 4-6 6-1 6-3. Now Vekic earns a rest and will face the winner of Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko and Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the Round of 16. Bencic also awaits an opponent in Round 2 from today’s match between local hope, Priscilla Hon and Germany’s Julia Goerges. Arguably the most intriguing matchup will be talented American, Sloane Stephens continuing her comeback up the rankings when she faces Australian, Arina Rodionova. The winner of that game will face the victor from the clash between eighth seed Czech, Marketa Vondrousova and German, Tatjana Maria in the second round. In the only other two games to be played for a second round spot, sixth seed Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka takes on Chinese Taipei’s Su Wei Hsieh for a chance to face either United States’ Bernarda Pera or Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova in the Round of 16.

Day 1 Results:

[4] B. Bencic (SUI) defeated D. Kasatkina (RUS) 6-4 6-4
[7] S. Kenin (USA) defeated V. Golubic (SUI) 6-0 6-4
[9] A. Kerber (GER) defeated Q. Wang (CHN) 6-1 6-3
A. Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) defeated A. Kontaveit (EST) 6-2 6-4
A. Tomljanovic (AUS) defeated Y. Putintseva (KAZ) 7-6 6-2
D. Vekic (CRO) defeated A. Sevastova (LAT) 4-6 6-1 6-3
D. Collins (USA) defeated A. Sasnovich (BLR) 6-3 6-2
D. Yastremska (UKR) defeated T. Babos (HUN) 7-5 6-3