PARIS (AP) — Top-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia maintained her dominance over Daniela Hantuchova, thrashing the Slovak player 6-0, 6-1 Wednesday to reach the Open GDF Suez quarterfinals.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has beaten Hantuchova nine straight times, with the Slovak’s only win coming when they first played 10 years ago.
Sharapova served well, hitting 10 aces and saving all seven break points she faced, while breaking Hantuchova’s serve six times. She will play eighth-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium or Yvonne Meusburger of Austria in the next round.
The remaining first-round matches Wednesday saw Flipkens beat Mona Barthel 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine upset sixth-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-3, 0-6, 7-5, and Galina Voskoboeva rallied to beat Stefanie Voegele 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (3) in nearly three hours.
