Radwanska aims to bounce back with title defence

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agnieszkaradwanska

Poland's world number five will hope to get a disappointing US Open bid out of her system, the 25-year-old's campaign at Flushing Meadow ended in straight sets by China's Peng Shuai in the second round.

It marked the end to a tournament that Radwanska harboured high hopes heading into, following final victory at the WTA Montreal event over Venus Williams in August and a run to the semi-finals of the year's other hard-court grand slam in Australia.

Nevertheless, the 2012 Wimbledon finalists' wait for one of tennis' major honours goes on and Slovakia's world number 67 Hercog - a two-time WTA winner at Bastad in 2011 and 2012 - will hope to ensure the first steps on that journey are uncertain ones.

Radwanska is the only player in the field ranked inside the world top 32, with Czech duo Karolina Pliskova and Klara Koukalova taking the second and third seed berths respectively.

Koukalova suffered a first-round exit at the US Open against compatriot Petra Cetkovska and will aim to get back on track against Kiki Bertens of Netherlands.

By contrast, Pliskova is buoyed by a run to the final of the Hong Kong Tennis Open and takes her momentum into a round-one meeting with Israel's Julia Glushko.

Hong Kong semi-finalist and veteran former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone is first up for fourth seed Magdalena Rybarikova, who was forced to withdraw in round one of the US Open due to a back problem.

Estonia's Kaia Kanepi and Great Britain's Heather Watson, seeded sixth and eighth respectively, get under way against qualifiers.

Watson crashed out at Flushing Meadows with a 6-1 6-1 loss to world number 83 Sorana Cirstea, while Kanepi impressed on her way to a last-16 defeat in straight sets to eventual champion Serena Williams.

Williams beat US counterpart Varvara Lepchenko a round earlier. Lepchenko, the fifth seed in Korea, targets a return to winning ways against Olivia Rogowska of Australia.

There is a an all-European clash for France's seventh seed Caroline Garcia against Germany's Mona Barthel - both second-round losers at the US Open.

The hosts are guaranteed representation in round two as wildcard entrants Han Na-lae and Jang Su-jeong face off against each other.

Author(s)
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Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK.