The Czech Republic athlete, whose victory at Eton Dorney last summer was one of the highlights of the Olympic regatta, did not need to win her opening heat, but made a point of keeping the American - who was one of the winning eight at London 2012 - within range, finishing just over three seconds behind.

New Zealand's world and Olympic pairs champions, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond moved smoothly through to the semi-finals with a heat victory in 6min 26sec.

Eric Murray (left) and Hamish Bond, New Zealand's Olympic pairs champions, qualified with characteristic ease on the Lucerne World Cup opening day

Serbia's Nenad Beđik and Nikola Stojić, winners of the men's pairs gold at last month's European Championships, looked likely challengers as they won their heat.

Elsewhere Britain's Olympic champion in the pairs, Helen Glover, had a tough heat with her new partner Polly Swann, as they held off the challenge of US pair Taylor Goetzinger and Meghan Musnicki to take the sole automatic qualifying place.

But Britain's men's four silver medallists from London 2012, surprisingly, failed to earn an automatic qualifying place after finishing only fourth in an opening heat won in fine style by a US crew which retained only one of its Olympic bronze medallists from last summer – Henrik Rummel.

Belarus and the Czech Republic were second and third.

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