Wozniacki, Sharapova off to winning Madrid tennis starts

MADRID (AFP) - Top seed Caroline Wozniacki began her campaign at the ATP-WTA Madrid Masters on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Japan’s Ayumi Morita while two Grand Slam champions, Maria Sharapova and Francesca Schiavone also went through.

But while Wozniacki was doing all the right things, there was disaster for French title holder Aravane Rezai, who lost to Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Wozniacki is trying to break her duck at the Grand Slams after holding the top WTA ranking without the benefit of a title at one of the four majors with the French Open just three weeks ago.

“The first match is tricky, but I felt I played pretty well,” said Wozniacki. “I’ve had quite a lot of practise here.”

French Open champion Francesca Schiavone won her first claycourt match of the season, defeating China’s Peng Shuai 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) to reach the second round.

The Italian third seed was beaten in her clay start last month in Stuttgart by Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska.

But with her Roland Garros title defence starting on May 22, Schiavone got her game back on track in straight sets.

Eighth seed Maria Sharapova struggled in her first clay contest of the season, with the three-time Grand Slam champion coming through for a defeat of Alexandra Rus of the Netherlands 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The challenger saved a match point on her own serve before the Russian seed moved ahead into the second round on her second winning opportunity.