Memphis, Tennessee - Defending champion Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden and top seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium advanced to the second round of the $1.58-million ATP and WTA US Indoor Championships with triumphs on Monday.
Second seed Arvidsson ousted Slovakian qualifier Jana Cepelova 6-4, 6-4 while Flipkens eliminated 2007 Memphis runner-up Shahar Peer of Israel 6-2, 6-2.
Arvidsson, who also won at Memphis in 2006, defeated New Zealand's Marina Erakovic in last year's final. This year, Arvidsson will face Erakovic again in the second round after Erakovic beat Germany's Annika Beck 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.
Next up for Flipkens will be Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, who defeated US qualifier Maria Sanchez 6-2, 6-4.
American Jamie Hampton downed Spanish wild card Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-3 to book a second round date with compatriot Coco Vandeweghe.
US wildcard Victoria Duval defeated Sweden's Johanna Larsson 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 to book a second-round date with the winner of a later match between another US wildcard, Courtney Collins, and French eighth seed Kristina Mladenovic.
The men's event began with Poland's Lukasz Kubot outlasting American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2). - Sapa-AFP