Kerber opens with win in Charleston

Charleston - Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber opened defence of her Volvo Car Open title with a three-set victory over Lara Arruabarrena on Tuesday night.

Top-seeded Kerber won her sixth straight match here with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3) win. It was also the second straight year Kerber beat Arruabarrena in Charleston, although the Spaniard put up more of a struggle than in the 6-3, 6-0 defeat in 2015.

Other seeded winners at the clay-court event included No 10-seeded Sam Stosur and 14th-seeded Daria Kasatkina.

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni topped 11th-seeded Kristina Mladenovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (13).

No 3-seeded Venus Williams begins play on Wednesday.

Results from WTA Charleston event on Tuesday:

Women's singles

2nd rd

Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3)

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x11) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (15/13)

1st rd

Kristina Kucova (SVK) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-2

Louisa Chirico (USA) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1

Darya Kasatkina (RUS x14) bt Zheng Saisai(CHN) 6-2, 6-1

Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Lesley Kerkhove (NED) 6-1, 6-2

Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-1, 6-1

Samantha Stosur (AUS x10) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-4, 6-4

Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 7-6 (7/4), 6-0

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) bt Teliana Pereira (BRA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2

Monica Puig (PUR) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-3, 6-2

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x17) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) 6-3, 6-4