Agnieszka Radwanska beat EkaterinaMakarova 6-3 6-3 after just over an hour to reach the third round at the WTA Premier Mandatory in Beijing.
Radwanska led 5-2 in her seven previous head-to-head matches and beat her Russian player in Wuhan last week. She has reached at least the semifinal stage in Beijing in four of the last five editions of this tournament and beat Andrea Petkovic in three sets in 2011 to win this tournament.
In the first set Radwanska cruised through to a 5-0 lead with a double break. She rallied from 30-40 down in the second game to break serve at deuce by winning two consecutive points. In the third game Makarova came back from 15.40 to earn a break point but Radwanska held her serve at deuce.
Agnieszka got the double break to 15 in the fourth game to race out to 4-0 lead. She had to save two break points in the fifth game but managed to hold her serve for 5-0. Makarova started to mount a comeback when she won three consecutive games with a break to 15 in the seventh game for 2-5 but Radwanska sealed the first set 6-3 on her third set point.
The tennis player from Krakow broke serve to 30 to go up a set and a break at the start of the second set. Makarova converted her third break-back point.
In the fifth game Radwanska rallied from 30-40 down to convert her second break point for 3-2. She held her service game to 15 to open up a 4-2 lead.
At 4-3 Radwanska won her service game at deuce. Makarova served to stay in the match at 3-5 and held her serve to 30 but Radwanska closed out the match on serve in the next game to 15.
Radwanska is just one win away from securing her spot for the WTA Finals in Singapore. She could be automatically qualified without playing if both Johanna Konta and Svetlana Kuznetsov alose in the second round.
In the third round Radwanska will face either Caroline Wozniacki or Roberta Vinci.
“I like the courts. I like the conditions. Everything suits me in Beijing. I am very happy that I can really play my best tennis here”, said Radwanska.
Chinese wild-card and world number 223 Peng Shuai upset sixth-seeded Venus Williams 7-5 6-1. Williams was the first to break in the first game to take a 3-2. Peng converted her fourth break-back point to draw level to 5-5 after a long 10th game before getting another break to 15 to close out the first set 7.5. Peng, a a worldnumber 15 and a past world number 1 in doubles, got a double break in the second and fourth games to race out to a 5-0 lead before serving out for the match two games later.
Barbora Strykova fought back back from one set down to battle past Laura Siegemund 5-7 7-5 7-5 after 2 hours and 56 minutes. Siegemund served for the match in the second and third sets but Strykova came back both times to seal a hard-fought win.
