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Sharapova made to work for win

Maria Sharapova serves to Michaella Krajicek during the Pacific Life Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Friday in Indian Wells, California. PHOTO: AFP

Top seed Maria Sharapova launched her defense of her Indian Wells title on Friday, winning in straight sets but not before Michaella Krajicek made her earn it.

The 19-year-old Russian hammered 29 winners but looked rusty in making 50 unforced errors and served 10 double faults in the one hour, 44 minute second round match.

Sharapova did not speak after her match telling tournament organizers she was too ill.

But she did release a statement through her agent Max Eisenbud saying, "I'm just happy to get through the match because it is the first time I have played in four weeks."

Sharapova will meet France's Nathalie Dechy in the third round who surprised Italian 31st seed Flavia Pennetta 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2.

Sharapova won Friday's first set in a tie break but she needed three challenges of bad line calls to beat Krajicek 7-5.

Her final challenge came on a kick serve that was called out by the linesman which was changed to an ace to get Sharapova to set point.

Sharapova committed nine of 10 double faults in the first set before settling down and finding her serve in the second.

Martina Hingis breezed through her opening match by beating Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 6-1, 6-3.

With the victory, the 1998 Indian Wells champion Hingis books a third round date with Austria's Yvonne Meusburger who rallied to beat Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The 96-player men's draw kicked off on Friday with former World No 1 Gustavo Kuerten seeing his comeback cut short, losing 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in a first round match to Juan Martin del Potro.

Kuerten, who has battled chronic hip problems since winning the last of his three French Open titles in 2001, said the disappointment of losing the first set in a tie-break got to him.

"I had my chances but instead I got frustrated and couldn't get it going," Kuerten said.
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