Sorana Cirstea pulled the plug on Petra Kvitova for the second straight year down under.

World No. 38 Cirstea did not drop serve dispatching 2019 Australian Open finalist Kvitova 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Melbourne second round for the ninth time.

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Cirstea's opening-round sweep comes a year after she stopped Kvitova 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in the AO second round. Kvitova summed up the defeat simply: Cirstea enjoys playing off her pace.

"Yeah, I think that she likes my game, that she just is going to it and she has to risk, and everything was in," Kvitova said. "I think for her I think it's a little bit tougher when she has to create the game, and this time it was just there and putting fast balls back."

The two-time Wimbledon champion was her own worst enemy at times committing 20 more unforced errors—39 to 19— in a one hour, 11 minute match.

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Kvitova is the third Top 20 women's seed to bow in the opening round joining 2020 champion Sofia Kenin, who lost to compatriot Madison Keys, and No. 18-seeded Coco Gauff in falling at the first hurdle.

"Well, it's never easy I would say," Kvitova said. "I mean, of course this loss is very painful, in the first round after like a whole month. It wasn't ideal, a whole month.

"Yeah, on the other side, not surprised really how everything ended, but on the other side, of course, when I play a match I always want to win. Yeah, always to lose is not good. It doesn't matter what age you are probably."



Cirstea, who reached the AO round of 16 in 2017, moves into a second-round match vs. Kristina Kucova, who defeated Misaki Doi 6-3, 7-5.

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