BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tennis player Zhang Shuai breezed past Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the 2017 China Open here on Sunday.
Awaiting Zhang Shuai in the second round is the 2016 China Open champion Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who ousted Carina Witthoeft of Germany by 7-5, 6-3.
Zhang, who just claimed the WTA Guangzhou Open title, started the game in a good form, winning the first set 6-4. Zhang kept firing in the second set to seal the victory.
"Today's opponent is good at counter-striking. She has a lot of topspin on the forehand. Each point is quite difficult. So I feel very happy to win today's match," Zhang said.
Other Chinese players struggled more in their first-round matches. No. 5 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark overtook Wang Qiang, who knocked out the 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in WTA Wuhan Open, 6-1, 6-7(4) and 6-1.
Wozniacki established her dominance early in the match by storming to a 6-1 first set win. Wang responded strong in the second set but not convincingly enough to win the tie-break before crumbling in the third set.
"I did a really good job in the second set. But she's mentally stronger than me," Wang Qiang said.
Following Wang Qiang, Chinese wild card Wang Yafan lost to Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 7-5. Later in the evening session, the world No. 3 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine clobbered another Chinese wild card player Zhu Lin by 6-3, 6-2.
