Her 18 carat gold shoes sparkled in Wimbledon [Images] sunshine on Tuesday as Maria Sharapova [Images] opened her title defence, but despite a one-sided scoreline her tennis was of a lesser lustre on Centre Court.

The Russian moved into the second round 6-2, 6-2 but the scoreline had as much to do with Spanish claycourter Nuria Llagostera Vives's unease on the slick grass as the champion's prowess.

Men's second seed Andy Roddick [Images] was far more impressive, thumping Czech Jiri Vanek 6-1, 7-6, 6-2.

The man with the world's fastest serve cracked 14 aces past his opponent as he racked up victory in 82 minutes.

Arriving at Wimbledon as the Stella Artois champion for the third successive year, Roddick set up a possible second-round showdown with Croatian Ivo Karlovic, his final opponent on the Queen's Club grass a week ago.

While Roddick had been sure-footed on the Wimbledon turf, Sharapova sprayed backhands long and shanked miss-hit forehands wide.

Little in her opening display will have rattled her rivals for the crown.

"I can get a lot better from here obviously," she said. "I did enough to win and so, you know, I'm pretty satisfied.

"The pace of the court here is a lot different (to clay). I think she struggled with that a little bit."

"JUST SMILING"

Still, though, Sharapova could not help but enjoy her match.

"It was so amazing. I was just smiling," she said. "I usually don't smile when I go out on the court.

"The people are clapping. You're just taking it all in. You're remembering last year.

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"This is where magic happened, I guess. So it was just really good to feel that again."

French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, Sharapova's conqueror in Paris, faces Greek serve-volleyer Eleni Daniilidou later on day two.

The Williams sisters Venus and Serena are also in action. Champion in 2000 and 2001, Venus plays Czech Eva Birnerova.

Fourth-seeded Serena -- champion in 2002 and 2003 before finishing runner-up to Sharapova last year -- meets fellow American Angela Haynes.

British wildcard Andrew Murray crowned his grand slam debut with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over George Bastl.

Bastl is best known for beating seven-times champion Pete Sampras [Images] in the American's last trip to Wimbledon in 2002.

But on the same court on which he recorded that milestone win, the Swiss journeyman was no match for 18-year-old Murray.

Britain's best hope of ending a 69-year-wait for a men's champion, Tim Henman, opens his account later on Tuesday against Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

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