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Birmingham, England (SportsNetwork.com) – Two of this week’s top-three seeds — Aussie Sam Stosur and American Sloane Stephens — notched easy second-round wins Wednesday at the Aegon Classic, a grass-court Wimbledon tune-up.
The second-seeded former U.S. Open champion Stosur whipped American Christina McHale 6-1, 6-3, while the third-seeded Stephens stifled former French Open champ Francesca Schiavone, of Italy, 6-2, 6-4 at Edgbaston Priory Club.
In other action involving top-10 seeds, No. 4 Belgian Kirsten Flipkens handled rising Italian Camila Giorgi 6-3, 6-2; Barbora Zahlavova Strycova ousted No. 5 fellow Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; No. 6 Czech Klara Koukalova outlasted French journeywoman Virginie Razzano 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-0); and No. 9 Chinese Zhang Shuai edged out Israeli Shahar Peer 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Some other seeded action saw Czech Petra Cetkovska take out No. 8 Slovak and 2009 champion Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 7-5; Hungarian lucky loser Timea Babos topple No. 11 American Madison Keys 6-2, 6-1; 43-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm knock out No. 12 Monica Puig, of Puerto Rico, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7); No. 15 American Alison Riske get past Ukrainian qualifier Nadiya Kichenok 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; and No. 16 Aussie Casey Dellacqua down American Varvara Lepchenko 6-4, 6-3.
Canadian qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak moved on by beating Aussie wild card Johanna Konta, 6-4, 6-2.
In some third-round action on Thursday, top-seeded former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic will meet American Lauren Davis, Stosur will encounter Dellacqua and Stephens will tangle with her compatriot Riske.