Maria Sharapova overpowered her Spanish opponent in the second round of the Italian Open, but the top-seeded Russian still has a long way to go before claiming the top ranking in women’s tennis.
The Wimbledon champion, who needs to win the $1,3-million clay-court tune-up for the French Open in order to overtake Lindsay Davenport for the number-one ranking, beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday.
Sharapova also received some help when countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova, the next highest seed in her quarter of the draw, was upset on a wet and windy day at the Foro Italico. The fifth-seeded United States Open champion lost to Paola Suarez of Argentina 6-2, 6-4.
Sharapova capitalised on her big forehand and attacking game against her 42nd-ranked opponent. The Russian connected with a swinging forehand volley winner on her first match point.
”I don’t think I played great tennis. I was making too many errors at the beginning of the match,” Sharapova said. ”As the match went on, I was feeling a little bit better with my strokes.”
Both players struggled to hold serve, with Sharapova making seven breaks to Medina Garrigues’s four.
”It’s the first match,” Sharapova added. ”It’s never going to be easy to play a Spaniard that runs and gets everything back. It’s good to get the first one out of the way and move on.”
Sharapova could have taken the top ranking last week with victory at the German Open, but lost to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals.
In six career clay-court tournaments, Sharapova has reached only two quarterfinals — in Berlin last week and at last year’s French Open.
Kuznetsova, who was coming off a quarterfinal appearance in Berlin and a runner-up finish in Warsaw a week earlier, dropped to 16-8 this season as Suarez notched only her second win. The other came on Monday in the first round against Karolina Sprem.
Suarez, who reached the semifinals of last year’s French Open, began the year with a leg injury. She made her season debut in Doha, Qatar, in February; lost in the opening round of four straight tournaments; and withdrew from three more with a neck sprain before returning this week.
”I thought it would be a more difficult match,” Suarez said. ”This is my first tournament on clay this season. I just took advantage of all her errors.”
Kuznetsova made 32 unforced errors to Suarez’s 12.
In first-round upsets, Anna Smashnova of Israel beat 11th-seeded Elena Likhovtseva of Russia 6-1, 6-3; Ava Ivanovic of Serbia-Montenegro eliminated number 12 Tatiana Golovin of France 6-3; 6-4, and Flavia Pennetta of Italy dispatched number 14 Shinobu Asagoe of Japan 6-2, 6-3.
Also, 15th-seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria; four-time Italian Open champion Conchita Martinez of Spain routed qualifier Angela Haynes of the US 6-0, 6-1; and 1997 Italian Open winner Mary Pierce defeated China’s Shuai Peng 6-1, 7-5. — Sapa-AP