Kerber through as Stephens avoids shock loss in Sydney

Kerber cruised into the Sydney International third round by beating Camila Giorgi 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Defending champion Angelique Kerber cruised into the Sydney International third round Tuesday as she targets back-to-back titles, while world number five Sloane Stephens narrowly avoided a shock loss.

The second seeded German was made to work hard in the opening set against Italy s Camila Giorgi, but took control in the second to ease through 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

"It s always tough to play Camila, the way she is hitting the ball. Her second serve is like her first serve," said world number two Kerber, who had a first round bye and is now into the third round.

"It s never easy to play your first tournament match but I am happy to be through. Hopefully I can go back-to-back, but there s still a long way to go."

America s Stephens battled back from the brink of a defeat to beat 72nd-ranked qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova in their first round clash.

Less than a week before the Australian Open -- the season s first Grand Slam -- she was on the ropes with Alexandrova winning the first set to love and serving for the match in the second set.

But Stephens somehow rallied to win 0-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3).

"I was, like, it s not going to get any worse than this," Stephens said of the first set. "So it was like I might as well just play.

"Obviously she was playing well. Sometimes when you play a player that s just playing like that, there is not much you can do."

Earlier, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova avenged her US Open defeat to in-form Aryna Sabalenka.

The Czech, who slumped to 29 in the world after being attacked in her home by a knife-wielding man in 2016, has battled back to number eight and was encouraged by her 6-1, 7-5 win over the Belarusian.

Sabalenka is a form player, racing to number 11 in the world after a stellar 2018 and starting the year by winning the Shenzhen Open.

"She was definitely (finishing strongly). She came from Shenzhen (last week) where she won the tournament so I knew it would be a tough match," said Kvitova.

"Unfortunately I lost (to her) at the US Open but I m happy with my performance here in the first round."

Kvitova, who is aiming for her second Sydney title after lifting the trophy in 2015, belted 28 winners to Sabalenka s 11 and won an incredible 85 percent of her first-serve points.

There was no such joy for 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, whose poor form continued in a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Australia s Ash Barty, who is rewarded with a second-round clash against world number one Simona Halep.

After picking up a thigh injury at the Hopman Cup, Garbine Muguruza -- another major winner -- safely negotiated her first-round encounter with fellow Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 6-4.

She later pulled out of the tournament, citing an unspecified illness, giving her next opponent Kiki Bertens a walkover into the third round.

Last year Muguruza was the top seed and world number two, but 12 months on she is unseeded and down to 18.

In the men s draw Australian teenager Alex De Minaur, a finalist last year, continued his preparations for the Australian Open with a 6-4 6-3 win over Dusan Lajovic.

Towering Americans Sam Querrey and Reilly Opelka are also through to the next round.