Sharapova made to sweat

General / Editor / 10 March 2007 /

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Top seed Maria Sharapova was made to sweat as she opened her defence of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells.
The world number one, who received a first round bye, needed an hour and 44 minutes to overcome Michaella Krajicek, sister of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Sharapova looked rusty in an error-strewn performance, her first match for over a month due to a hamstring injury, which included 50 unforced errors and 10 double faults served by the Russian.

"I'm just happy to get through the match. I've just got to keep improving," she said.

Sharapova will now meet France's Nathalie Dechy who upset Italy's Flavia Pennetta 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-2.

Former champion Martina Hingis reached the third round more easily, breezing past Denmark's prodigious 16-year-old Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-3.

Another former champion to progress was 14th seed Daniela Hantuchova, who came through 6-2 2-6 6-1 against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

Seventh seed Jelena Jankovic beat American Shenay Perry 6-1 6-3 while eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze overcame Croatia's Mirjana Lucic 6-2 7-5.

Sharapova (2.96) heads Betfair's Pacific Life Open (Women) Winner's market, just ahead of Svetlana Kuznetsova (6.4), Nadia Petrova (7.4).

Jankovic (9) and Hingis (10.5) are in the same half of the draw as Sharapova.

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