Mauresmo, Sharapova advance

An overwhelmed Croatian qualifier proved to be the perfect first-round victim for Wimbledon top seed Amelie Mauresmo on Wednesday.

The Frenchwoman whitewashed Ivana Abramovic 6-0, 6-0 in a 38-minute mismatch on the notorious court two, which has a reputation as a place where seeded players struggle.

"It was not the graveyard for me today, so that was good," Mauresmo said, although the three-times semi-finalist admitted she had been surprised not to be on the Centre Court or court one.

"It did surprise me a little bit when I heard about the schedule. I thought okay, I will play on court two today and prove myself worthy again to go on the bigger ones," she said.

"But I had a good feeling out there and I have good memories of this court."

Abramovic, ranked 192, was playing her first match in the main draw of a Grand Slam and the 22-year-old stomped off court disconsolately after a humiliating experience against the world number one.

It was the eighth so-called 'double bagel' on the women's tour this year and the first at a Grand Slam since Italian Francesca Schiavone humbled Spain's Maria Sanchez Lorenzo in the third round of this year's Australian Open.

Australian Open champion Mauresmo had lost her last two matches, at the French Open and at Eastbourne, and had to wait to play her first round match until Wednesday because of Monday's rain at Wimbledon.

She suffered her now familiar disappointment at Roland Garros when she lost in the fourth round to Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova and was a surprise loser to compatriot Nathalie Dechy at in her first match at the Eastbourne grasscourt event last week.

However on Wednesday the 26-year-old set the tone by winning the first five points of the match and her mixture of powerful groundstrokes and deft net play tied Abramovic in knots.

Mauresmo took the first set with a neat lob-volley and sealed victory with a firm service return that Abramovic netted.

"It's one of the great matches that I've played here, although I don't know if the fact that my opponent was not so good made it easy for me," she added.

SMASHING SHARAPOVA

Maria Sharapova marked her return to her favourite hunting ground at Wimbledon by thrashing Israel's Anna Smashnova 6-2, 6-0 in the first round.

The 2004 champion signalled her title aspirations by condemning Smashnova to her 10th first-round exit here in 12 visits.

Russian Sharapova, 19, opened her campaign a day later than expected because of Monday's rain but wasted little time in outclassing her opponent with bludgeoning groundstrokes and claimed the first set with a forehand drive volley.

The 29-year-old Israeli wilted in the second set and succumbed in 52 minutes by dumping a backhand into the net.

Sharapova, seeded four, will next meet either American Ashley Harkleroad or Jelena Kostanic of Croatia.