World number three Petra Kvitova opened her campaign to win a second consecutive tournament in China in commanding style Wednesday as she dumped out home-crowd favourite Peng Shuai in the $5.4 million China Open.
The 6-4, 6-2 victory was a convincing performance from Kvitova, who won the Wuhan Open last Saturday and appeared to take the consistency she showed at the inaugural tournament to Beijing.
Peng, who made the semi-finals at the US Open last month, took a 2-0 lead before the Wimbledon champion stormed back, winning 12 of the next 16 games and wrapping up the match in just 66 minutes.
The Czech player will now meet 16th seed Venus Williams for a tricky third-round match. Three of the last five meetings between the pair have gone to third-set tie breaks, which Kvitova won.
The third seed in Beijing has enjoyed a return to consistency in China after a poor run in the North American swing.
She won her second tournament of the year at New Haven, but crashed out of the US Open in the third round to 145th-ranked Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic.
Kvitova then lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, her quarter-final opponent in Wuhan, in her opening match in Cincinnati.
With her victory in Wuhan, the 24-year-old confirmed her place at the WTA Finals in Singapore, the end of season finale involving the world's top eight womens players. Those who have already made it to the tournament include world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova (4) and Simona Halep (2).
The China Open is being held at the Olympic Park in the Chinese capital and will reach its climax on October 5.– AFP