China's Peng, Wozniacki out of China Open

China's Peng Shuai and former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark were both knocked out of the second round of the China Open on Wednesday.

Peng, the last four of the US Open this year, was ousted by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2 while sixth seed Wozniacki was upset by an inspired Sam Stosur from Australia. Kvitova advanced in one hour and six minutes, despite the warm cheer-ups for Peng from the home fans. The tournament's third seed will face Venus Williams from the United States in the next round, who defeated Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday.

So far, all the Chinese players are out of the China Open women's singles, but Peng still has a chance to move into the semifinals in the women's doubles with her new parter Andrea Hlavackova from the Czech Republic.

Kvitova, ranked third in the world, clinched her title at the Premier-level Wuhan Open last Saturday and became the fourth player to qualify for the WTA Finals Singapore slated for Oct. 17-26, joining Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep in the field.

While Wozniacki's hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals took a serious hit after the second round defeat at the China Open. She could still qualify depending on other players' results.

Stosur had always given Wozniacki trouble in the past, winning three of their seven previous meetings, and more importantly two of their three previous meetings on hardcourts. And the Aussie had been showing flashes of the brilliance that once took her as high as No.4 in the world, taking out three Top 10 players already this year - Dominika Cibulkova two times and Eugenie Bouchard once.

And with some sharp serving Stosur gave the No.6-seeded Wozniacki trouble this time too, sneaking out a break in the seventh game and riding that to the first set and, after losing a one break lead in the second set, staving off five set points in the tiebreak to close it out in straights, 6-4, 7-6(9).

Elsewhere on the matchday when most of the competition was delayed by the consistent rain, Frenchwoman Alize Cornet earned an easy second round win after overcoming Lauren Davis of the Unied States at 6-2, 6-1.

And she will need to dig deep in her next match, when she takes on Stosur, the former US Open winner.

In a third round match, Russian fourth seed Sharapova defeated Spanish Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 7-6(3).

In men's part, world number one Novak Djokovic enjoyed a comfortable victory over Canada's Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 7-5 for the third round at the China open.