The big names came through the first round of the ASB Tennis Classic in Auckland unscathed with top seed Flavia Pennetta and third seed Yanina Wickmayer cruising past their opponents in straight sets.
The Italian Penneta outclassed American Jill Craybas 6-2, 6-4 and Belgium's Wickmayer downed German Julia Goerges 6-3, 7-5.
Wickmayer is playing in the season opening tournament after successfully appealing a doping ban at the end of last year and says aggression was the key to today's victory.
