Angelique Kerber returns a shot during her game with Kristina Mladenovic in the second round of the WTA Wuhan Open on Sept 27, 2016. Kerber overcame a slow start to see off Kristina Mladenovic to reach the third round. (Photo/Xinhua)
The only Chinese player remaining in the main draw, Zhang Shuai lost to Britain's Johanna Konta, the runner-up here last year, 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the WTA Wuhan Open on Tuesday.
Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic stunned second seed Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 7-6(2).
The Serb, Guangzhou Open runner-up, will next play Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic, who outlasted Japan's Misaki Doi 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.
Current world No. 1 Angelique Kerber overcame a slow start to see off Kristina Mladenovic to reach the third round.
The 28-year-old German displayed all the qualities that have taken her to the pinnacle of the women's game to complete a 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 victory over Mladenovic and set up a meeting with another Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova, who dismissed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 6-1.
"Kiki was playing very well today, especially in the first set. I was trying to come back in the second," Kerber said. "The first match is always tough. But I'm happy to be back in China and to have won my first match here.
"I was trying to play more aggressive, more my tennis, moving a little bit better.
"It's always tough against Petra. So, I will have to play better than today for sure. I will try my best to going out there to win the match and I will have to play one of my best tennis tomorrow against her," added the newly-crown U.S. Open champion, who had won the last three matches against Kvitova.
No. 3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska defused Ekaterina Makarova to register her first win in three attempts in the tournament. She will next face Caroline Wozniacki, who last week produced a stunning comeback win against the Pole en route to claiming the Tokyo title.
Wozniacki has pulled off a late season resurgence, reaching the U.S. Open semifinal and lifting her first 2016 title at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. The Dane dispatched Katerina Siniakova from Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 in the second round, recording her seventh straight victory this month.
Defending champion Venus Williams, seeded six, made short work of Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-2. She will take on ninth seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova next as the former U.S. Open champion brushed aside America's Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-4.
Italy's Roberta Vinci, 13th seed, was ousted by Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-2, becoming the only seeded player to bow out on Tuesday.
In other matches, eighth seeded Madison Keys from United States beat Caroline Garica of France 6-3, 6-4; 10th seeded Dominika Cibulkova, former Australia Open runner-up, rallied past Laura Siegemund of Germany 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Russia's Daria Kasatkina romped past America's Louisa Chirico 6-1, 6-1.
