Sharapova and Hantuchova ease through Indian Wells opener
Sharapova retained her unbeaten record this season
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Saturday, 15, Mar 2008 03:00
Maria Sharapova and Daniela Hantuchova have both eased through their first round matches at the Pacific Life Open in California.
Australian Open champion Sharapova was able to maintain her unbeaten run so far this season with a 6-1 6-0 win over French qualifier Stephanie Cohen-Aloro.
Meanwhile defending champion Hantuchova cruised past US wildcard Angela Haynes 6-1 6-2.
Sharapova needed less than an hour to beat Cohen-Aloro and seemed to be more troubled by the blustery conditions in Indian Wells than by her opponent.
The Russian was dominant and allowed Cohen-Aloro to take just one game during the match – increasing her 2008 record to 18 wins including Fed Cup matches.
Sharapova said: "I've been playing good enough tennis to not be nervous before my first round. Obviously you never know what kind of tennis you're going to produce in these kind of conditions. But I think against an opponent that didn't give me much rhythm, I think I handled it pretty well."
Hantuchova was equally in control in her first round encounter, breaking Haynes' service five times and dropping just seven points on her own service.
The Slovakian won the opening four games before Haynes got into the match. The American offered some resistance at the start of the second set only for the fifth seed to win another four successive games to take the match.
Hantuchova said that despite the conditions it was a court she felt comfortable playing on.
"I definitely feel like it's my home out there. Really feels like it's the best court in the world for me," she said.
Elsewhere second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova beat fellow Russian Elena Makarova 6-1 6-1 and former world number one Amelie Mauresmo defeated Romanian Edina Gallovits 6-2 6-4.