Caroline Wozniacki beat Poland’s Urszula Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 in hot conditions Sunday in the first round of the Sydney International.
After starting the season with an upset first-round loss to qualifier Ksenia Pervak at the Brisbane International, the seventh-seeded Wozniacki needed just 26 minutes to win the first set with boyfriend and top-ranked golfer Rory McIlroy watching at Sydney Olympic Park. “It was quite hot out there, especially towards the end of the second set you could really feel it was starting to heat up,” said Wozniacki, from Denmark. “I’m just happy to get the first win of the season under my belt and just move on.”
Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia beat 2011 Wimbledon champion and fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-1. Maria Kirilenko, playing her first match since becoming engaged to Washington Capitals hockey star and fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin, beat Australian wild-card entry Olivia Rogowska 7-5, 6-2. The men’s tournament starts Monday.
