Victorious Sharapova given French Open scare
Canadian Wozniak makes second round in major for first time
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | 10:19 AM ET
The Associated Press
Russia's Maria Sharapova returns the ball to compatriot Evgeniya Rodina during their first-round match Wednesday. (Christophe Ena/Associated Press)When the ball was in play, Maria Sharapova at least was able to make something happen.
The top-seeded Russian struggled with her serve in the wind at the French Open and barely managed to defeat 103rd-ranked Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 3-6, 8-6 Wednesday in first-round play at Roland Garros.
Meanwhile, Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak upset 20th seed Austrian Sybille Bammer to advance to the second round. The Blainville, Que., native sailed past Bammer 6-0, 6-2 to survive the first round of a major for the first time in her career.
Wozniak, who is ranked 140th in the world, committed 13 unforced errors to Bammer's 27 and converted six of 11 break points.
The lone Canadian left in the singles draw will face 50th-ranked Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan in the second round.
While Wozniak was sharp in her match, Sharapova had 17 double-faults and landed only 64 per cent of her first serves in her contest on centre court, where she is trying to complete a career Grand Slam at the clay-court major.
"I was very close to losing this match," Sharapova said from Paris. "Not many things were working for me today after the first set."
The 19-year-old Rodina came within two points of winning at 5-4 in the third set, but Sharapova won the next two to hold.
In the fifth game of the second set, Sharapova double-faulted three times in a row. After the third, Sharapova put her hands on her hips and stared blankly.
No mercy
Serena Williams ran into a spot of bother before downing France's Mathilde Johansson 6-2, 7-5.
The American, who is the only past Roland Garros winner in the women's draw after four-time champion Justine Henin's retirement, prevailed in one hour and 33 minutes after trailing 5-3 in the second set.
She'll meet either Russian Ekaterina Makarova or Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik for a final-16 spot.
Ana Ivanovic showed no mercy as she thundered into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2 win over a hapless Lucie Safarova.
The Serbian second seed basked in the sunshine on the bullring Court One as she smothered her Czech opponent in a quickfire 55 minutes.
In the men's draw, Rafael Nadal had an easier time in his opener, improving to 22-0 for his career at Roland Garros by defeating Thomaz Bellucci 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in a rain-interrupted match.
Play suspended
Play was suspended by rain Tuesday with the score at 1-1. On Wednesday, Nadal had his serve broken twice in the first set, including while serving for the set at 5-3 before eventually winning.
"In two days I only practised 20 minutes," said Nadal, adding the windy conditions were tough. "Difficult to go to the court and have a good rhythm. And first match, always you are nervous."
Nadal, seeded No. 2 behind Roger Federer, is trying to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1978-81 to win the clay-court Grand Slam tournament four years in a row. His next opponent is another qualifier, Nicolas Devilder of France.
Third-seeded Novak Djokovic moved into the third round by beating Miguel Angel Lopez Jaen of Spain 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
No. 25 Lleyton Hewitt defeated Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and No. 21 Radek Stepanek stopped Gilles Simon of France 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, retired with leg pains while leading Marcos Daniel of Brazil 7-6 (5), 2-2.
