“It was one of those days where you can’t do anything wrong,” Seles told reporters after the match. “Those types of days are what you work toward.”
World number eight Seles has won 11 matches in a row since a fourth round loss at last month’s U.S. Open. During her unbeaten run she has won the Brazil and the Japan Opens.
“I’ve been very surprised by my play,” Seles said. “After the U.S. Open I was a little disappointed in my game, so I tried to stay focused more during matches and it’s made a big difference.”
In other first round matches on Tuesday, third-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand advanced with a 6-4 6-1 win over China’s Peng Shuai. South African number five seed Joannette Kruger was upset by South Korea’s Cho Yoon-jeong 6-4 7-6 (8-6).
Eighth-seeded Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy beat China’s Li Ting 6-1 7-6 (8-6), and ninth-seeded Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay overcame Italy’s Adriana Serra-Zanetti 6-2 6-3.
World number 10 Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia, withdrew from the tournament on Monday citing a left ankle strain.
First round results (prefix number denotes seedings):
3-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) beat Peng Shuai (China) 6-4 6-1; 9-Rossana de los Rios (Paraguay) beat Adriana Serra-Zanetti (Italy) 6-2 6-3; Nicole Pratt (Australia) beat Jill Craybas (United States) 6-4 6-3; 1-Monica Seles (U.S.) beat Lenka Nemeckova (Czech Republic) 6-0 6-0; Cho Yoon-Jeong (South Korea) beat 5-Joannette Kruger (South Africa) 6-4 7-6 (8-6); 8-Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Li Ting (China) 6-1 7-6 (8-6); Stephanie Foretz (France) beat Wynne Prakusya (Indonesia) 4-6 6-3 6-1; Rachel McQuillan (Australia) beat Annabel Ellwood (Australia) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2; Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) beat Evie Dominikovic (Australia) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1); Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) beat Pavlina Nola (New Zealand) 6-2 6-3; Alicia Molik (Australia) beat Mireille Dittmann (Australia) 7-5 7-6 (7-3)—Reuters