French Open
- Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
- Date: 22 May-5 June
- Coverage: Watch live on BBC Red Button/online (UK only) & text commentary (#bbctennis) on BBC Sport website from 1000 BST; daily highlights programme on BBC Two; updates & commentary on BBC Radio 5 live/5 live sports extra
Sharapova is one of the favourites to lift the trophy at Roland Garros Maria Sharapova needed only 56 minutes to brush aside Croatian Mirjana Lucic and reach the French Open second round.
The seventh-seeded Russian, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2007, broke for a 4-3 lead in the first set before turning on the style.Lucic, ranked 94, crumbled and after losing the opening set, the errors soon mounted as Sharapova wrapped up the 6-3 6-0 victory in emphatic fashion.
Sharapova will face France's Caroline Garcia for a place in the last 32.
It was a convincing display by the three-time Grand Slam winner, who is eyeing her first career title at Roland Garros.
Arriving in Paris on the back of her success at the Rome Masters, Sharapova never looked back after grabbing the vital break to lead 4-3 in the first set and powered on for victory, taking nine successive games.
The Russian 24-year-old won the Wimbledon title in 2004, the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.
Also advancing to the second round was China's sixth-seeded Li Na, who overcame a stumble in the second set to progress 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.
Belgium's Kim Clijsters, ranked number two, will play Anastasiya Yakimova later on Tuesday.
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