Linz, Austria (Sports Network) - Last week's Beijing champion Victoria
Azarenka and former Linz titlist Ana Ivanovic were a pair of first-round
winners Wednesday at the Generali Ladies Linz tennis tournament.
The world No. 1 Azarenka, this year's Australian Open titlist and U.S. Open
runner-up, stayed hot by drilling helpless Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-0, 6-2 in
65 minutes on the indoor hardcourts at Tips Arena Linz.
Azarenka's second-round opponent on Thursday will be Romanian Simona Halep.
A second-seeded Ivanovic, meanwhile, got past Romania's Monica Niculescu 7-5,
6-3 in 1 hour, 15 minutes.
The former world No. 1 Ivanovic will meet fellow former Top-10 star Andrea
Petkovic on Thursday. Ivanovic captured Linz titles in 2008 and 2010.
Fifth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany reached the quarterfinals with a
6-3, 6-3 handling of Swiss Romina Oprandi on Day 3.
A first-round upset came when wild card and Austrian crowd favorite Patricia
Mayr-Achleitner drubbed eighth-seeded German slugger Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-3.
The newest Linz titlist will earn $37,000.
The Sports Network