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Sharapova in cruise control

London - World No 1 Maria Sharapova swept into the Wimbledon second round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Australia's Anastasia Rodionova on Monday.

Sharapova was playing for the first time since her French Open final victory over Sara Errani earlier this month and the Russian's confidence was clearly sky high as she demolished Rodionova in just 70 minutes.

The 25-year-old will face Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, who reached the semi-finals in 2010, in the last 64.

"The French Open was a wonderful moment in my career but only a few days after that you come to London and are gearing up for Wimbledon, so you don't have much time to enjoy it," Sharapova said.

"But when Wimbledon is on the line that's the only way to do it and I'm really happy to be back on Centre Court.

"It's always difficult coming into a grand slam with little practice on grass. The first matches are always tricky.

"I'm happy with the way I played but there's no doubt I can improve."

Sharapova's triumph in Paris was a magical moment as it completed a career grand slam and capped her recovery from serious shoulder surgery that, at one stage, looked capable of wrecking her career.

But there was no chance of Sharapova, who won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, resting on her laurels as she still has unfinished business at the All England Club.

The Russian has reached the final in three of the last four grand slams, but the first of those ended in a surprise defeat to Petra Kvitova here 12 months ago.

Sharapova was back on Centre Court for the first time since then and the top seed looked determined to erase those bitter memories.

She had routed Rodionova without dropping a single set in her four previous meetings with the world number 133 and this clash followed a familiar pattern.

Sharapova broke in the second game and pushed home her advantage with another break to move 5-0 ahead in just 15 minutes.

Rodionova, 30, finally got on the scoreboard in a sixth game that lasted nearly as long as the first five and then secured a break of her own.

But it was far too late to prevent Sharapova closing out the set and she continued in equally dominant mood in the second set.

The Russian landed the crucial break in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead and eased through in confident fashion.

Results on the first day of Wimbledon at the All England Club on Monday (x denotes seeding):

Men

First round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Benjamin Becker (GER) bt James Blake (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-0, 6-4
Radek Stepanek (CZE x28) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-1, 1-0 - retired
Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP x24) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 2-6, 8-6
Martin Klizan (SVK) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 11-9
Jrmy Chardy (FRA) bt Filippo Volandri (ITA) 6-0, 6-1, 1-0 - retired
Juan Monaco (ARG x15) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5)
Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)
Richard Gasquet (FRA x18) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Florian Mayer (GER x31) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-3
Philipp Petzschner (GER) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4)
Roger Federer (SWI x3) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-1, 6-1, 6-1
Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Michael Russell (USA) bt Adrin Menndez (ESP) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7)
Julien Benneteau (FRA x29) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP x17) bt Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (TPE) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 7-5
Grega Zemlja (SLO) bt Joshua Goodall (GBR) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5
Gilles Simon (FRA x13) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-3, 5-4 - retired
Alejandro Falla (COL) bt John Isner (USA x11) 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5
Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Oliver Golding (GBR) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5
Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA x23) 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x26) bt Donald Young (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
Inigo Cervantes-Huegun (ESP) bt Flavio Cipolla (ITA) 2-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
Ryan Sweeting (USA) bt Potito Starace (ITA) 6-2, 2-0 - retired
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB x8) bt David Nalbandian (ARG) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Women

First round


Maria Sharapova (RUS x1) bt Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 6-2, 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Vesna Manasieva (SRB) 5-7, 6-0, 7-5
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 6-2, 6-4
Stphanie Foretz (FRA) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM x29) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Petra Cetkovsk (CZE x23) bt Vania King (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Karolna Plskov (CZE) 6-2, 6-2
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 5-7, 6-3, 2-0 - retired
Sabine Lisicki (GER x15) bt Petra Martic (CRO) 6-4, 6-2
Silvia Soler (ESP) bt Edina Gallovits (ROM) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8
Andrea Hlavckov (CZE) bt Kai-Chen Chang (TPE) 6-1, 6-2
Kim Clijsters (BEL) bt Jelena Jankovic (SRB x18) 6-2, 6-4
Mathilde Johansson (FRA) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Alberta Brianti (ITA) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Angelique Kerber (GER x8) bt Lucie Hradeck (CZE) 6-4, 6-1
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x3) bt Magdalna Rybrikov (SVK) 6-3, 6-3
Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Venus Williams (USA) 6-1, 6-3
Heather Watson (GBR) bt Iveta Benesova (CZE) 6-2, 6-1
Jamie Hampton (USA) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x27) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1)
Nadia Petrova (RUS x20) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-0, 6-2
Tmea Babos (HUN) bt Melanie Oudin (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Anna Tatishvili (GEO) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-4, 6-2
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Flavia Pennetta (ITA x16) 6-4, 6-3
Li Na (CHN x11) bt Ksenia Pervak (KAZ) 6-3, 6-1
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-4, 6-1
Lourdes Domnguez (ESP) bt Naomi Broady (GBR) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Maria Kirilenko (RUS x17) bt Alexandra Cadantu (ROM) 6-3, 6-1
Peng Shuai (CHN x30) bt Sandra Zaniewska (POL) 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3
Ayumi Morita (JPN) bt Jarmila Gadjosova (AUS) 6-4, 6-3
Arantxa Rus (NED) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 7-5, 6-3
Samantha Stosur (AUS x5) bt Carla Surez (ESP) 6-1, 6-3

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