Maria Sharapova solidified her comeback to tennis as the former number one overcame a slow start to win her opening match at the Rome Masters, beating Christina McHale 6-4, 6-2.
The five-time Grand Slam winner went down a quick break in the first set before revving up to claim the opener while playing in her third event since last month's end of a 15- month doping ban.
"It felt slow and the conditions are quite different to Madrid," said the three-time Italian Open champion on Monday. "It certainly took a few more games than I would have liked to get used to. But once I did, I felt like I took care of the second set quite well."
The former number one advanced to the second round at the sun-drenched Foro Italico as she beat McHale for a fifth time without defeat.
The former No 1'a ranking has recovered into the 200s and a semi-final this week would put her into the main draw for Wimbledon.
Sharapova came through a hic-cup near the end, losing serve as she prepared to wrap it up while leading 5-1, but recovered in the next game to emerge the winner. Sharapova is still waiting to hear if she will receive a wild card entry into Roland Garros starting a week from Sunday; that news will come on Tuesday, when she is otherwise engaged laying her second-round match. "I'll focussed on my match, I'm playing tomorrow," Sharapova said; "But nothing is a disappointment after being away from the game for 15 months." "Winning matches will get me places, so if that's where it got me today, then I will take it. The fact that I'm back and playing three weeks in a row now and three events in a row for me is a big deal. That's my focus."