“Really there was no game plan as far as this match was concerned as I went out there and played tennis, to the best of my ability,” said Kleybanova who had defeated Lu in their only previous meeting last year in Beijing.
“Defending the title requires me to take clear one hurdle at a time and I will do just that as the players in this tournament are no pushovers.
“I have played Krajicek several times in the past and it will be no different tomorrow as she is also familiar with my game. So I will just go out there and try making it to the next round.”
Kleybanova's year started off on a bad note as she lost to wildcard Sally Peers 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the first round in the 2011 Brisbane International but fared better at doubles, winning with Russian compatriot Anastasia Pavyuchenkova for her fourth WTA doubles title.
She went off on a better note at the Medibank International Sydney 2011 by upsetting fifth seed Francesca Schiavone in three sets 6(5)-7, 6-1, 6-2 and prevailing over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-4. However her tournament ended when she lost to Kim Clijsters, the third seed, 6-4, 3-6, 6 -7.
Her career-best achievements have been reaching the fourth round at two Grand Slams at Wimbledon and Australian Open, as a direct entrant, two WTA Tour Tier II quarter-finals (Antwerp, 2008; Eastbourne, 2008) as a qualifier.
Kleybanova'sWTA career is still young, and she has battled successfully through qualifying to enter one Grand Slam and several further WTA main draws aside from her five notable main draw successes described above.
However it was curtains for Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugaran as a rampant Bojana Jovanoski blew her off the court.
The Serbian won 6-0, 6-1 and will take on Urszula Radawaska of Poland in the second round.
Jovanovski was in her element as she dictated the play in the first set, not allowing Tamarine any chance whatsoever.
It was a powerful display from the Serbian as she hammered away relentlessly to take the first set 6-0.
And in the second set, before the Thai could muster up any fight back, Jovanovski raced to a 3-0 lead. Tamarine was only able to win one game before Jovanoski closed off the match.
In other matches played this afternoon, Jarmila Groth of Australia defeated Sun Shengnan of China 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to move into round two.
Also winning her opening round match was Kurumi Nara of Japan who got the better of Elena Bovina, winning 6-3, 6-3.
