Cincinnati (US), Aug 14 (IANS): Victoria Azarenka of Belarus eliminated Spain's Carla Suarez to advance to the second round of the women's singles category at the Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament, hoping to take the title again after five years.

Azarenka won 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in a two-and-a-half hours long match and is set to play against sixth-seed Caroline Garcia of France in the second round, reports EFE news agency.

Earlier, Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko beat Danielle Collins of the United States 6-9, 6-2 to advance to the next round where she will be facing current champion of the tournament, Garbine Muguruza.

Estonia's Anett Kontaveit crushed Czech Republic's Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-0 to compete in the next round with the winner of the match between Japan's Naomi Osaka and Greece's Maria Sakkari; meanwhile 13th seeded Madison Keys beat fellow American Bethanie Mattek Sands 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Serena Williams also debuted with a comfortable win against Australia's Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-2 to compete against eighth-seed Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova in the next round.

The Cincinnati Masters awards $2.9 million in prize money, according to the official website of the Women's Tennis Association.