Key Biscayne, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - American Bethanie Mattek-Sands was sent packing on Day 1 at the $5.4 million Sony Open tennis event.
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina outlasted the 29-year-old Minnesota native in 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 fashion on the hardcourts at Crandon Park.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova handled Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva 6-2, 7-5, promising Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia topped Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3, 7-5, and Kazakhstanian Yaroslava Shvedova dismissed fading former French Open titlist Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2. Shvedova should have her hands full with reigning Miami champ Serena Williams in the round of 64.
Also advancing Tuesday were Aussie Casey Dellacqua, Swiss Romina Oprandi and Japan's Kurumi Nara, who is rewarded with a second-round match against last year's Miami runner-up, Maria Sharapova. Oprandi's next opponent will be 2012 Miami champ and last week's Indian Wells runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska.
The top seeds at this two-week tournament are the six-time champion and two- time runner-up Williams, Li Na, Radwanska, and the five-time runner-up Sharapova, who lost to Williams in last year's marquee finale and has lost in the last three Miami finals.
The 2014 winner of this lucrative event will collect $787,000.
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