Petra Kvitova has eased through to the second round of the US Open with a 6-1 6-1 victory over Laura Siegemund.
Despite never reaching a quarter-final at Flushing Meadows, Kvitova is seen as one of the main challengers to Serena Williams after successfully defending her Connecticut Open title last week to ensure that her preparations were perfect.
In a dramatic start to what proved to be a comfortable evening for the fifth seed, the two-time Wimbledon champion came off the better in a run of three successive breaks of serve to claim the early advantage.
Leading 4-1 in the opener, Kvitova refused to offer Siegemund any way back and her German opponent was broken to love before the first set was secured.
Kvitova won another early break in the second set to claim a 2-1 advantage, but the crucial moment came in the next game as Siegemund wasted six break points before finally watching her rival earn the hold.
The Siegemund challenge quickly faded after the setback as Kvitova continued to dictate the tempo from the back of the court, and two more breaks of serve followed as the fifth seed wrapped up a convincing win.
