Wozniacki, Kvitova advance

PARIS: Second seed Caroline Wozniacki held off the challenge of American Danielle Collins to ease through their French Open first-round match 7-6 (7/2) 6-1 on Monday.

The Australian Open champion has never reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, but after a tight first set, she was too strong for surprise Miami semi-finalist Collins, who was making her French Open debut. The 27-year-old Dane will take over from Simona Halep as world number one if she lifts the title a week on Saturday. Wozniacki will next face Spanish qualifier and world number 219 Georgina Garcia Perez for a place in the last 32. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova fought back from a set down to beat Paraguayan Veronica Cepede Royg and reach the French Open second round on Monday. The eighth seed struggled early on Court Philippe Chatrier, but came through 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to set up a meeting with Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena. The 28-year-old Kvitova is one of the favourites to win a maiden Roland Garros title after winning four titles this season, including on clay in Prague and Madrid. Cepede Royg, who surprisingly reached the last 16 in Paris last year, claimed the first set courtesy of a single break of the Kvitova serve. But the Czech roared back, racing through the second set in only half an hour, before holding her nerve in a tight decider as Cepede Royg dropped serve in the 11th game.