Carlsbad (California), Aug 2 (DPA) Top seed Maria Sharapova made a storming return after one month away as she began her Acura Classic title defence 6-1, 6-3 over Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn.
The Russian ranked second in the world fired nine aces and saved six break points as she debuted both a new slightly haircut and a clothing revamp for the hardcourt summer Wednesday.
“My shoulder doesn’t hurt – but I’m not at 100 percent either,” said Sharapova. “But I’ve been talking about it for so long that I feel I’m repeating myself.
“I just want to go out and play tennis. It’s not getting worse and I know it will eventually get better.”
Sharapova has not played July 4 when she lost in the Wimbledon fourth round to eventual champion Venus Williams.
She skipped Fed Cup in Vermont against the US to rest her right shoulder, which required a cortisone injection in the spring to help her through the summer Grand Slams.
Sharapova will next face French 13th seed Tatiana Golovin.
Williams continued her winning run while Russian wonder Anna Chakvetadze stretched a summer hot streak to 10 straight victories.
Williams, seeded 10th as she claws back up the rankings after seasons of injury and lack of tournament play, dismissed Virginie Razzano of France 6-2, 6-4.
The 27-year-old American with a 16th ranking has not lost at the event since the 1999 final against current rival Martina Hingis.
Williams won three straight trophies in 2000-02 in Carlsbad, California, returning only this week.
“I’m playing better than at Wimbledon. My game is improving with every match that I’ve played,” she said.
“I played well, I had some errors, but I was aggressive. I’m relaxed and confident. If I’m down a break, I know I can do whatever it takes to break back.”
Chakvetadze has been the talk of the hard courts after lifting back-to-back US titles in Cincinnati, Ohio and last weekend in northern California, where she beat India’s Sania Mirza at Stanford.
The 20-year-old Russian now stands six-for-six in career finals and has made a start on a possible seventh with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Meghann Shaughnessy for a 10th straight victory.
The win took less than 90 minutes as the Russian third seed broke four times to set up a match with Japan’s Ai Sugiyama.
The 2005 finalist, beaten by Mary Pierce, advanced 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) over Austrian 15th seed Sybille Bammer.
Other seeded winners on a sunny day included number-six Slovak Hantuchova, who put out Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 1-6, 6-1.
Two more Russians moved ahead. Number eight Dinara Safina beat France’s Camille Pin of France 6-1, 6-4, and ninth-seed Elena Dementieva stopped German Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-2.
Unseeded Maria Kirilenko joined in with a win, knocking out Czech 16th seed Lucie Safarova 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).