Czech fourth seed Petra Kvitova enjoyed a second comfortable outing at the French Open on Thursday, reaching the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Poland’s Urszula Radwanska. Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who only dropped three games in her opening win over Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty, needed 70 minutes to set up a clash with either Russia’s Nina Bratchikova or Claire Feuerstein of France for a place in the last 16. The 22-year-old has twice reached the fourth round in Paris, including last year when she was defeated by champion Li Na and she never looked in trouble on Thursday. She fired 30 winners past the 21-year-old Pole, the younger sister of third seeded Agnieszka Radwanska who had put out Venus Williams on Wednesday.
“She played well, she has good hands and a good touch,” said 22-year-old Kvitova of her 79th-ranked opponent. “But she wasn’t very agressive so I was able to play my game.” Later Thursday, second seed Maria Sharapova, who needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, takes on Japan’s world number 84 Ayumi Morita. Defending champion Li Na, the seventh seeded Chinese, faces France’s Stephanie Foretz Gacon while former world number one Wozniacki, seeded nine, tackles Australia’s Jarmila.
