"It was a good match, and I was expecting a tough one against Ana today," Svitolina said after beating the youngest player ranked inside the WTA's top 50. "I'm happy with how I handled some of the tough shots she hit today."
Svitolina enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2017, winning titles in Taipei City, Dubai, Istanbul, Rome and Toronto, and is confident of a better showing in 2018.
"Hopefully I'm improved. I'm trying to work hard and stay focussed on each match, to show my best tennis and challenge myself to go even higher and better," she said.
Former champion Kaia Kanepi, a winner in 2012, dominated her match against Lesia Tsurenko to seal a 6-4, 6-3 victory and a meeting against second seed Karolina Pliskova who dumped out American CiCi Bellis 6-1 6-1.
Meanwhile, Aliaksandra Sasnovich sealed a comeback win over Kanepi's Estonian compatriot Anett Kontaveit. The qualifier from Belarus, who swept aside Kristina Mladenovic in the first round, prevailed 1-6 7-6(2) 6-3 and faces Alize Cornet next.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, Editing by William Maclean)
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