China’s Li Na and Japan’s Ayumi Morita kicked off the Asian challenge at Wimbledon with emphatic first round wins on Monday.<\/p>\n
Li became the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title when she lifted the French Open trophy in 2011 and the 30-year-old is hoping to emulate that historic achievement at the All England Club this year.<\/p>\n
After a frustrating claycourt campaign, which saw her surrender the French Open crown in the fourth round, the world number 11 looked right at home on Wimbledon’s lush lawns.<\/p>\n
She was far too strong for Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan and brushed aside the 21-year-old 6-3, 6-1 in little more than an hour on Court 12 to set up a second round meeting with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, who defeated France’s Pauline Parmentier.<\/p>\n
Li’s combination of experience and power proved far too hot to handle for the world number 41 Pervak, whom she had also beaten at the Australian Open this year.<\/p>\n
After an early exchange of breaks, Li landed the decisive blow for a 5-3 advantage before serving out the set.<\/p>\n
The Chinese star quickly took control of the second set with a break to move 2-1 ahead and romped to victory with two more breaks.<\/p>\n
While Li is regarded as a decent outside bet for the title, the 22-year-old Morita would be happy just to make it past the second round for the first time in five visits.<\/p>\n
Morita had lost in the first round in three of her four previous appearances, but she improved that dismal record by defeating Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 6-3 on Court 14.<\/p>\n
Morita, who has never been past the third round of any Grand Slam, next faces Chinese 30th seed Peng Shuai, who had to dig deep before defeating Polish qualifier Sandra Zaniewska 6-2, 6-7 (3\/7), 6-3.<\/p>\n
Peng, 26, reached the fourth round here last year, but she has struggled at the majors in 2012 — failing to get past the third round of either the Australian or French Opens — and was pushed all the way by Zaniewski.<\/p>\n
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei celebrated her first appearance at Wimbledon for four years with 6-2, 6-4 win over French wildcard Virginie Razzano.<\/p>\n
Razzano had shocked Serena Williams in the first round of the French Open last month, but 26-year-old Hsieh produced a polished display to ease through.<\/p>\n
Next up for Hsieh will be a clash with France’s Stephanie Foretz Gacon as the world number 62 bids to reach the third round here for the first time.<\/p>\n
Hsieh’s compatriot Chang Kai-Chen, making only her second Wimbledon appearance, bowed out in the first round as the 21-year-old was thrashed 6-1, 6-2 by Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic.<\/p>\n
Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn enjoyed a memorable run to the quarter-finals in 2008, but the 35-year-old is a fading force and her 16th Wimbledon singles appearance came to an abrupt conclusion with a 6-4, 6-2 first round defeat against Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili.<\/p>\n
Japan’s Misaki Doi made the main draw as a lucky loser, but it was a short-lived reprieve as the 21-year-old — who reached the last 32 on her Wimbledon debut last year — was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
In the men’s singles, Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun — who famously defeated three-time finalist Andy Roddick here in 2010 — was beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 by America’s Ryan Harrison, threfore missing out on the chance to face world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic in the second round.<\/p>\n
Taiwan’s Jimmy Wang, ranked a lowly 207th, put up a brave fight before losing 7-6 (7\/3), 6-4, 7-5 against Spanish 17th seed Fernando Verdasco.<\/p>\n