Sharapova rolls in Rome opener
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Reigning two-time champion Maria Sharapova resumed her winning ways in Rome with an easy second-round victory Wednesday at the $2.37 million Italian Open, a clay-court French Open tune-up.
The second-seeded former world No. 1 star drilled Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-2 on the red clay at Foro Italico. Sharapova was last week's Madrid runner-up to the great Serena Williams.
The French Open champion Sharapova captured a second straight Italian Open title last year by beating Chinese star and former French Open titlist Li Na in the final.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Up next for Sharapova will be American slugger Sloane Stephens.
A fifth-seeded Li also reached the third round here on Wednesday by blasting fellow Chinese Zheng Jie 6-3, 6-1. The Australian Open runner-up will battle former world No. 1, two-time Rome champion and former runner-up Jelena Jankovic on Thursday. Jankovic whipped Serb Bojana Jovanovski 6-2, 6-0.
Seventh-seeded Italian crowd favorite Sara Errani, last year's Roland Garros runner-up to Sharapova, defeated American Christina McHale 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, while ninth-seeded former French Open and Rome runner-up Samantha Stosur doused Chinese Peng Shuai 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
In other second-round action involving seeds, No. 12 Russian Maria Kirilenko mauled American Varvara Lepchenko, 6-3, 6-1; No. 13 Italian Roberta Vinci handled wild card and fellow countrywoman Nastassja Burnett 6-1, 6-4; No. 14 Slovak Dominika Cibulkova overcame American qualifier Melanie Oudin 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; and a No. 16 Stephens fought back to beat Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Cibulkova is rewarded with a third-round match against the mighty Serena.
Additionally, Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro leveled Swiss Romina Oprandi 6-4, 6-2 and Spanish lucky-loser Lourdes Dominguez Lino topped Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-4. Dominguez Lino replaced sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber in the draw, as Kerber pulled out with an abdominal injury.