TOKYO: Playing through an earthquake, sixth-seeded Dominika Cibulk­ova of Slovakia beat Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-1, 6-3 and advanced to the second round of the Pan Pacific Open here on Tuesday.

During the last game of the match, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 hit an area north of Tokyo. The earthquake was felt by the players.

Cibulkova held all eight of her service games while saving four break points at Ariake Coliseum. She will next play Coco Vandeweghe of the US, who rallied from 4-2 down in the second set to beat Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2, 7-5.

Also, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand beat fifth-seeded Sara Errani of Italy 6-4, 6-1, eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain defeated Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus rallied to overcome Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

First round: Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt 5-Sara Errani (Italy) 6-4, 6-1; Casey Dellacqua (Australia) bt Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2; Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; 8-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) bt Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2; Daria Gavrilova (Russia) bt Lauren Davis (US) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Jarmila Gajdosova (Australia) bt Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5; Coco Vandeweghe (US) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 6-2, 7-5; 6-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-1, 6-3.

RADWANSKA MOVES AHEAD

SEOUL: Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska hammered Polona Hercog as she set out on a quest to successfully defend a title for the first time at the WTA Korea Open here on Tuesday.

The Polish world number five, returning to action after her US Open second-round defeat to China’s Peng Shuai, won 6-3, 6-3 to get her title defence off the mark.

Former Seoul champion Maria Kirilenko beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to reach round two.

Results:

First round: 4-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) bt Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) bt Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) bt Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 6-3, 7-6(4); 2-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) bt Julia Glushko (Israel) 6-1, 6-2; 1-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-3, 6-3; Danka Kovinic (Montenegro) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Slovakia) 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(3); Nicole Gibbs (US) bt 8-Heather Watson (Britain) 7-5, 6-2; Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Donna Vekic (Croatia) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; 3-Klara Koukalova (Czech Republic) bt Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-0, 4-6, 6-4; 6-Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) bt Elizaveta Kulichkova (Russia) 6-2, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2014