Madrid, Spain – Second-seeded Maria Sharapova was an easy first-round winner Monday at the $4 million Madrid Open.
The former world No. 1 and reigning French Open champion stayed hot by handling Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru 7-5, 6-2 on the clay courts at The Magic Box.
Sharapova, who is fresh off her title in Stuttgart two weeks ago, will meet American Christina McHale in the round of 32.
A big Day-3 second-round upset came when promising British left-hander Laura Robson took out fourth-seeded Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1.
In some other second-round action at this French Open tune-up, sixth- seeded German Angelique Kerber dropped France's Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-2 and seventh-seeded 2012 French Open runner-up Sara Errani snuck past Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Some additional first-round play saw last week's Portugal Open runner-up Carla Suarez Navarro upend ninth-seeded former Roland Garros finalist Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, the aforementioned McHale outlast Chinese Peng Shuai 7-5, 5-7, 6-1, and Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic roll past Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1, 6-1.
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