SHARAPOVA WINS OPENER

Maria Sharapova coasted through her opening match of the Bausch and Lomb Championships with a 6-1 6-3 victory over Czech qualifier Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the second round on Tuesday.
Sharapova, who missed last week's Sony Ericsson Open in Miami due to a right shoulder injury, had not played since losing her first match of 2008 in the semi-finals at Indian Wells.
But in her inaugural appearance at Amelia Island, Sharapova showed no rustiness, dispatching Strycova in 70 minutes at the claycourt event.
The 20-year-old was particularly sharp in the opening set, winning 80 per cent (12 out of 15) of her first serves and needing just 23 minutes to wrap it up.
Sharapova began the year by winning 18 straight matches, capturing titles at the Australian Open and Doha, before the defeat at the hands of fellow countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Sharapova, one of the top eight seeds to receive a first-round bye, has never made a claycourt final, only reaching three semi-finals.
Sharapova's main competition could come from second seed Anna Chakvetadze of Russia and third Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia - a pair players who begin their campaigns on Wednesday.
Another player who may challenge for the title is three-time champion and 16th seed Lindsay Davenport, who defeated countrywoman Vania King 6-2 6-3 in their first-round match on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old American, who won here in 1997, 2004 and 2005, has won 30 of 35 matches in 10 appearances here.
Davenport is 43-6 with four titles since returning to the WTA Tour last September, following an 11-month absence to have her first child.
Fourth seed Marion Bartoli of France was upset in her second-round match, falling in three sets to Olga Govortsova of Belarus 4-6 6-2 6-4.
Having reached a career-high ranking of ninth in October, Bartoli continued a miserable stretch which has seen her lose eight of her last 10 contests.
Hungary's Agnes Szavay had no such troubles, defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 6-1 in the second round.