By Bill Scott May 30, 2007, 17:32 GMT
Paris - Maria Sharapova put Russia on a roll at the weather-plagued French Open while local heroine Amelie Mauremso got off to her best start in years at the home Grand Slam on a wet Wednesday.
Second seed Sharapova is relying on her steely nerve and fighting heart to see her through as she plays with a right shoulder full of pain-killing cortisone.
She booked a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Emilie Loit in a blustery chill on a heavy court, reaching the second round wearing the knee-length leggings favoured on the day by several women players.
Sharapova paved the way for two more seeded compatriots.
Number three Svetlana Kuznetsova booked her place with a win over fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova 6-0, 6-3.
Up-and-coming ninth seed Anna Chakvetadze hammered Australian Alicia Molik 6-2, 6-3.
Top seed Justine Henin survived a one-hour rain interruption before defeating 16-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek 7-5, 6-1, with the youngster saving a match point before the Belgian concluded matters with a smash.
Fourth-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic stood on the brink of victory when the skies opened, driving her at Catalina Castano off court with Jankovic serving for victory.
It ended during the reprise 6-3, 6-3 to the favourite.
Mauresmo was relieved to finally get her opening match completed.
The sometimes fragile player has often suffered with a fatal case of nerves in front of the Parisian crowd. But the fifth seed had no problems as she opened with a delayed win over American Laura Granville 6-0, 7-5.
The match was delayed a day or more after the weather which has hampered the major this opening week.
'I was ready to play yesterday, even on Monday,' said the two-time quarter-finalist. 'I waited very patiently when I looked at the weather on Monday, realized that my match would be postponed.
'It didn't come as a surprise and I was quite at ease waiting for Wednesday.'
The Frenchwoman is only now getting her form back after appendix surgery which kept her out two months earlier this season.
Sharapova, meanwhile, has been plagued for months by her shoulder problems, which finally resulted in her taking the injection in order to play in Paris.
'My shoulder is still not where I want it to be, it's still not perfect,' said the former Paris quarter-finalist. 'I love competing and whatever it takes for me to be here.
'I have a lot of respect for this tournament, and I wanted to be as ready as I could be. I'm willing to go out there and I'm willing to fight as much as I can. And even without a serve, I'm good enough to win many matches.'
There was also an easy wins on a grim day for seventh-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic, who beat Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-0.
But there was more than a touch of sadness for 2004 winner Anastasia Myskina.
The Russian, who has still not recovered from January foot surgery and had not played since the first day of the year, went out to American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-1, 6-0.
Myskina said that she had considered the match a test of her foot - specifically a big toe problem - and had no expectations.
Slovak 12th seed Daniela Hantuchova continued her recent run of form which took her to the March Indian Wells title and a Rome semi-final this month as she beat Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-3, 6-1.
Patty Schnyder advanced with the 14th seed beating Martina Sucha 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Israeli 15th seed Shahar Peer put out Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-1, 6-3.
On the men's side, sixth seeded Serb Novak Djokovic finished off a first-round match interrupted the evening before by darkness, stopping Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.
Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez upset Czech tenth seed Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
As the second round began, Russians Nikolay Davydenko, the number four, and 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny both advanced.
Davydenko took another straight-sets win, beating Werner Eschauer 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 while Youzhny took out Nicolas Lapentti 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.
Spain's Tommy Robredo moved through while Belgian Kristof Vliegen slammed French hope Richard Gasquet, the 11th seed, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-1.
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