Petkovic sets up German duel with Kerber in Stuttgart
Angelique Kerber will face Andrea Petkovic in the second round of WTA tournament in Stuttgart.
BERLIN (AFP) - Angelique Kerber will face compatriot Andrea Petkovic in the second round of this week s WTA tournament in Stuttgart, after Petkovic beat Spain s Sara Sorribes Tormo in straight sets on Tuesday.
World number five Kerber was granted a bye to the second round after Simona Halep withdrew from the tournament with an injury, and will now face her friend and compatriot in an all-German duel on Thursday.
"I will send Angie a SMS or two this evening," said Petkovic after beating Tormo 6-3, 6-4.
"Usually, the loser has to buy the other one dinner," she added.
In the other ties Belgium s Greet Minnens sprung a surprise when she beat Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, ranked 159 places above her, to set up a second round meeting with world number three Petra Kvitova.
Laura Siegemund became the third German to reach the second round when she beat Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, while Anna-Lena Friedsam went down fighting in two sets against Dutch sixth seed Kiki Bertens.
Earlier in the day, Elise Mertens of Belgium was knocked out by Russia s Darya Kasatkina, and Anastasika Sevastova overcame fellow Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in a rollercoaster battle over three sets.
