TOKYO: Fifth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova dispatched Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 6-3 to book a second-round spot in the Pan Pacific Open on Tuesday.
Cibulkova has momentum after posting her best result of the season when reaching the final of the Connecticut Open in August.
In Tokyo, she raced 5-1 ahead. Suarez Navarro broke in a seventh game that contained four deuces, and briefly threatened to fight her way back.
Last year's WTA Finals champion, Cibulkova broke in the third game of the second set, and again to love in the final game.
Cibulkova has a 5-2 win record against Suarez Navarro, including a victory here on her way to the semifinals in 2015.
She next plays either Slovakian compatriot Jana Cepelova or Czech player Katerina Siniakova.
Earlier, Caroline Garcia — seeded following the withdrawal of virus-hit Agnieszka Radwanska — beat lucky loser Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4, 6-3.
Garcia next meets home-crowd favorite Kurumi Nara, handed a wild card entry.