Maria Sharapova took another tentative step in her comeback by beating Jarmila Groth of Australia 6-0, 6-4 in 63 minutes at the Los Angeles Women's Tennis Championships.
Sharapova, absent from the tour for 10 months due to right shoulder surgery, breezed through the opening set in 20 minutes and lost just 9 points.
In the second set, however, she struggled with her rebuilt serve, double-faulting twice to lose serve in the third game and falling behind, 3-1.
She regrouped by breaking Slovakian-born Groth, made it 3-all and closed the match with her fifth break of Groth's serve.
The 22-year-old Russian now plays a second-round date with third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Russia's Anna Chakvetadze defeated 11th seeded Virginie Razzano of France 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 Monday. Unseeded Chakvetadze advances to face fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova.
Elena Vesnina cruised past Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-1, 6-0 and Kleybanova beat compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 6-3.
In other matches Monday, China's Peng Shuai outlasted Michaella Krajicek 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 and Italy's Flavia Pennetta, seeded 10th, needed three sets to top unheralded American Varvara Lepchenko, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0. Pennetta was last year's runner-up to Dinara Safina, the top seed here.
The tournament features five of the world's top 10 players including world number one Safina of Russia.
The 23-year-old Safina is fresh off her third title of the year, winning a marathon three-hour match in the Portoroz final.
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