Sharapova leads Russian charge

PARIS – Second seed Maria Sharapova of Russia showed no signs of the shoulder injury that has dogged her for most of this year as she made a winning start to her French Open campaign yesterday.

She beat France’s Emilie Loit 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in 1 hour 50 minutes and will play veteran American Jill Craybas for a place in the third round. There were straight set wins also for Sharapova’s third-seeded compatriot and last year’s beaten finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, who cruised past another Russian, Ekaterina Bychkova, 6-0, 6-3 and for rising Serbian youngster and seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, who blasted past Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-0.Another Russian, ninth seed Anna Chakvetadze, joined them in the second round with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-3 win over Alicia Molik of Australia.But there was dismay for the 2004 champion Anastasia Myskina, whose recent downward spiral continued with a 6-1, 6-0 hammering at the hands of veteran American Meghann Shaughnessy.Playing in her first Grand Slam event since turning 20, Sharapova is badly short of match practice having only returned to action in Istanbul last week after two months out to treat the shoulder injury.And in Turkey she was gunned down 6-2, 6-4 by French youngster Aravane Rezai at the semi-final stage.Nampa-AFPThere were straight set wins also for Sharapova’s third-seeded compatriot and last year’s beaten finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, who cruised past another Russian, Ekaterina Bychkova, 6-0, 6-3 and for rising Serbian youngster and seventh seed Ana Ivanovic, who blasted past Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-0.Another Russian, ninth seed Anna Chakvetadze, joined them in the second round with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-3 win over Alicia Molik of Australia.But there was dismay for the 2004 champion Anastasia Myskina, whose recent downward spiral continued with a 6-1, 6-0 hammering at the hands of veteran American Meghann Shaughnessy.Playing in her first Grand Slam event since turning 20, Sharapova is badly short of match practice having only returned to action in Istanbul last week after two months out to treat the shoulder injury.And in Turkey she was gunned down 6-2, 6-4 by French youngster Aravane Rezai at the semi-final stage.Nampa-AFP