Charleston, South Carolina, 7 April 2011 | AP

Samantha Stosur opened her title defence with an impressive 6-1 6-2 victory over Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston.

Australia’s French Open finalist needed just 57 minutes to launch her 2011 claycourt season with a dominant victory.

While fellow Australian Anastasia Rodionova crashed out in the second round, Second-seeded Stosur fired down eight aces in setting up a likely clash with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Rodionova lost 6-3 1-6 6-3 to 15th seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.

After a first-round bye, world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki charged into the third round with a 6-1 6-1 defeat of American Irina Falconi.

Wozniacki’s first claycourt match of the season also lasted less than an hour after the Dane took a 5-0 lead in the first set and then closed the match by winning the final six games.

Wozniacki reached the final in Charleston two years ago, then retired with an ankle injury in her semi-final against Vera Zvonareva in 2010.