WIMBLEDON champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic became the first big casualty at the US Open, losing her opening round match to unseeded Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru. Playing her first grand slam match since winning Wimbledon in July, the fifth-seed Kvitova made a whopping 52 unforced errors en route to a 7-6, 6-3 loss to Dulgheru.
It was another humbling experience for Kvitova, who slumped to the defeat in just one hour and 38 minutes.
Second seed Vera Zvonareva had a more successful start to her campaign as she powered past Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 6-3, 6-0.
The Russian showed her class to dispatch Foretz Gacon in sweeping fashion, conceding just three games in a dismissive opening set, before completing an emphatic bagel in the second.
Kateryna Bondarenko of the Ukraine was another to seal a comprehensive victory, beating Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 6-0.
The Ukrainian will next take on Zvonareva after both recorded identical scorelines in their respective first-round matches.
Julia Goerges – the 19th seed from Germany – defeated compatriot Kristina Barrois 6-3, 6-2, while Madison Keys won her all-American battle with Jill Craybas on the Grandstand court 6-2, 6-4.
Keys will next face Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, after the 27th seed overcame Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. (Europort)