Sharapova crushes Hamption to advance to round 3

No. 4 seed, former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova of Russia completely crushed No. 144 ranked Jamie Hampton of the USA on Thursday in Melbourne, to advance to round three of the 2012 Australian Open.

The match lasted just 64 minutes, and Sharapova allowed Hampton only one game, taking the match 6-0, 6-1.

It was Sharapova’s first event of the season because of a lingering ankle injury.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova won the Australian Open in 2008.

She will next face German Angelique Kerber, who defeated Canada’s Stephanie Dubois 7-5, 6-1.

Sharapova has easy win over Chakvetadze in Wimbledon opener

No. 5 seed, Maria Sharapova of Russia, easily defeated her compatriot, No. 52 ranked Anna Chakvetadze in the opening round at Wimbledon, 6-2, 6-1.

Sharapova is beginning to show her old form and looking fully healthy again after being forced off the tour for 10 months with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Sharapova, with her signature loud shrieking, took apart her compatriot in the opening set with a pair of service breaks while facing hardly any threat to her own serve. In the 2nd set, Sharapova was far less effective on her own serve, with Chakvetadze having four break points. She converted on only one of them, and her own weak delivery was punished by Sharapova, who broke serve four times to make sure of her place in round two.

Seeded players Kuznetsova, Hantuchova, Shvedova, Peer, Rezai, Oudin, and Jie fall in 2nd round at Wimbledon

Shahar Peer of Israel was the highest seed to be eliminated in the 2nd round at Wimbledon 2010. The 13th seeded Shahar lost to No. 54 ranked Angelique Kerber of Germany 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was a round that saw many seeded players fall to much lower ranked players. Some of the higher seeds included No. 18 seed, Aravane Rezai of France, who lost to No. 66 ranked Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, and No. 19 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, who was defeated by countrywoman Anastasia Rodionova 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.