Written by
The Sports Network
Paris, France (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova and six-
seed Julia Goerges of Germany were second-round winners Wednesday at the Open
GDF Suez.
Sharapova, who withdrew from this event last year due to illness, advanced to
the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over South African Chanelle
Scheepers.
The former world No. 1 Sharapova lost to Victoria Azarenka in the final of
last month's Australian Open.
In the later contest, Goerges had an easy time dispatching Czech Petra
Cetkovska by a 6-1, 6-4 count in just over one hour. Despite a more
competitive second set, Cetkovska was undone by four double faults
The first round concluded on Wednesday, and seventh-seeded Italian Roberta
Vinci was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Simona Halep of Romania.
Anabel Medina Garrigues, on the other hand, was a opening-round victim. The
eighth-seeded Spaniard was dismissed by French wild card Pauline Parmentier
2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Additional first-round wins came for Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and
Christina McHale, Czech Klara Zakopalova, Romanian Monica Niculescu and
Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.
The winner of this $637,000 event will pocket $107,000.
The Sports Network