Defending champion Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden and top seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium advanced to the second round of the $1.58 million ATP and WTA US Indoor Championships with triumphs Monday.
Second seed Arvidsson ousted Slovakian qualifier Jana Cepelova 6-4, 6-4 while Flipkens eliminated 2007 Memphis runner-up Shahar Peer of Israel 6-2, 6-2.Arvidsson, who also won at Memphis in 2006, defeated New Zealand s Marina Erakovic in last year s final. This year, Arvidsson will face Erakovic again in the second round after Erakovic beat Germany s Annika Beck 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.
Next up for Flipkens will be Ukraine s Lesia Tsurenko, who defeated US qualifier Maria Sanchez 6-2, 6-4.American Jamie Hampton downed Spanish wild card Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-3 to book a second round date with compatriot Coco Vandeweghe.