Sharapova and Kvitova lead women’s advance

PARISMay 29, 2012 Three former women’s grand slam champions and a young British hope reached the French Open second round Tuesday as Rafael Nadal, seeking a record seventh men’s crown, made his entrance.

Maria Sharapova whipped Romania’s Alexandra Cadantu 6-0, 6-0 in just 48 minutes as the Russian second seed, seeking to lift the only major she has never won, cruised towards a meeting with Japan’s Ayumi Morita. Morita defeated Polona Hercog of Slovenia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Clad in black, and seeking her third claycourt title of the season, Sharapova over-powered her 74th-ranked rival who was facing a top ten opponent for the first time in a career which stalled in 2008 amid financial problems.

On Tuesday, the outclassed Romanian failed to hit a single winner.

“Of course I’m really happy with the way my preparation has been coming into this tournament,” beamed Sharapova, claycourt winner at Stuttgart and Rome this season as well as twice a semi-finalist here.

“I feel like with every year I have improved and I enjoy it much more,” said the 25-year-old, beaten in the last four by Li Na on her last Roland Garros appearance.

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the fourth-seeded Czech, thrashed Australia’s Ashleigh Barty 6-1, 6-2 in 54 minutes to join Sharapova in the next round where she meets Urszula Radwanska of Poland. Also marching on was 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, seeded 14, who defeated Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3, 6-1. Schiavone, 31 and last year’s beaten finalist, advanced to a meeting with either Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium or Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.

AFP