Russia's Maria Sharapova blows kisses to the crowd following her first round match against Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugam at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne. -- PHOTO: AP
MELBOURNE - FORMER Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova recovered from some shaky moments to cruise into the second round 6-1, 6-3 against Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn on Monday.
Sharapova, the tournament's 2008 winner, lost her opening service game to the 33-year-old Tanasugarn but hit back to win the next six games, wrapping up the first set in just 26 minutes.
She broke Tanasugarn in the first game of the second set before going off the boil, dropping the next three games to go 3-1 down.
Tanasugarn had game points to make it 4-1 but Sharapova fought back, breaking her former doubles partner to get the set back on serve.
She dominated the rest of the match to become the first seeded player into the second round, where she will face either fellow countrywoman Elena Vesnina or Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano. -- AFP
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