Kvitova reaches third round in Paris

Paris, France – Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was an easy second-round winner Thursday at the 2012 French Open.

Kvitova, the No. 4 seed, handled Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3 in 70 minutes on Court Lenglen at the famed Stade Roland Garros.

The Czech Kvitova denied Maria Sharapova a second Wimbledon crown in last year's finale at the All England Club for her first career Grand Slam title and is trying to better her fourth-round result from last year here in Paris.

Up next for the lefthanded Kvitova will be Russian Nina Bratchikova, who beat France's Claire Feuerstein 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Day 5.

Ninth-seeded former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark handled Aussie Jarmila Gajdosova 6-1, 6-4, while 10th-seeded rapidly-rising German Angelique Kerber whipped Belarusian Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-2, and 14th-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone overcame Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Schiavone was the surprise French Open champ in 2010 and last year's Roland Garros runner-up to China's Li Na.

Czech veteran Klara Zakopalova took down 16th-seeded Russian glamour girl Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, while 22nd-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Pavlyuchenkova and Zakopalova will square off here on Saturday.