Tennis: Top seed safely through

Flavia Pennetta. Photo / Getty Images

Top-seed Flavia Pennetta made it safely through the opening round of the ASB Classic tennis tournament today, beating American veteran Jill Craybas 6-2 6-4.

The Italian world No 12 took just 70 minutes to get past Craybas and will next face the winner of the encounter between Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro and a qualifier.

Pennetta, 27, who won the two previous meetings between the players, the latter at Monterrey last year when she allowed Craybas a solitary game, was in control for most of the contest.

She won the first set comfortably and looked to be racing away with the match with an early break in the second.

Craybas, 35, a Classic regular for more than a decade, did break back to level at 2-2, but the world No 76 couldn't deny Pennetta the decisive break in the seventh game.

- NZPA