Sharapova survives scare

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova battled back from the brink of defeat to reach the second round of the US Open at Flushing Meadow.

The Russian survived a scare before defeating Laura Granville 6-3 5-7 7-5.

The American led 5-4 on serve in the final set before Sharapova broke back and took the final three games.

“My game went off for a while. I went to La-La Land,” the 17-year-old seventh seed said. “But I came back to Earth.”

Venus Williams followed her sister Serena into the second round with a 6-3 7-6 (7/3) win over Petra Mandula of Hungary.

The American lost her serve when serving for the match in the second set but easily won the tie-breaker.

However, Williams admitted that injuries have taken their toll in the last year and added: “I need to focus on the second round. I’m not really thinking ahead too far.”

Meanwhile, top seed Justin Henin-Hardenne showed no reaction to her Olympic victory last week with a 6-1 6-4 win over Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic.

The Belgium opened the year by capturing the Australian Open title, but was knocked out by Tathiana Garbin of Italy in the second round of the French Open.

She then missed the next four months, including Wimbledon, because of a persistent viral illness.

“After what happened in the last few months, I have to be careful about everything,” said Henin-Hardenne, who said she has had limited practice time in New York.

“I’m starting to feel better, but I’m not 100 per cent.”

Fourth seed Anastasia Myskina of Russia, the French Open champion, routed Ludmila Cervanova of Slovakia 6-1 6-0 in 42 minutes. Myskina lost just nine points in the second set.

Fifth seed Lindsay Davenport of the United States similarly had little difficulty advancing to the second round, defeating Slovakian Lubomira Kurhajcova 6-4 6-0.

The 28-year-old Davenport has hinted at retirement and arrives in Flushing as a sentimental favourite.

She also is at the top of her game, winning all four hardcourt events she has entered this summer.

Mary Pierce, the 27th seed, won in straight sets, as did ninth Svetlana Kuznetsova, 14th Nadia Petrova, 20th Chanda Rubin, 21st Amy Frazier and 26th Elena Bovina.

But 24th seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi and 25th Elena Likhovtseva were eliminated.