BEIJING (AFP) - Russian two-time Grand Slam champion and second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova breezed through her opening match at the WTA Tianjin Open on Monday, beating France's Pauline Parmentier 6-1, 6-3.
Meanwhile, China's Wang Yafan - listed 125th in the world by the WTA - clinched a surprise upset, eliminating sixth seed Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, despite the Kazakh ranking 91 places above her.
The other Chinese players fared less well.
Zhang Kailin lost 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 to Croatia's Donna Vekic, while Tianjin native Duan Yingying was defeated 6-4, 6-3 by Montenegrin Danka Kovinic.
The 2010 Wimbledon doubles winner Vania King of the US was knocked out by Chang Kai-chen of Chinese Taipei.
Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova, the tournament's two Czech players, partnered in doubles to win the 2011 French Open, the 2013 US Open, and a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics. But in Tianjin they faced off against each other, with Hradecka beating her compatriot 7-5, 6-4.