Maria Sharapova made a triumphant return to hardcourts, beating China's Jie Zheng 6-4, 7-5, in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic Tuesday. Sharapova will now meet Olga Govortsova of Belarus. Defending champion Marion Bartoli was another of the five seeds to advance, beating American Ashley Harkleroad 6-1, 6-4. In the final match of the night, American teenager Melanie Oudin recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the second set to beat Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-3 in a match that lasted 2 hours, 29 minutes. In other first-round matches, sixth-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel beat Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3; No. 7 Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium downed Taipei's Yung-Jan Chan, 6-3, 6-4; Belarus' Victoria Azarenka, the eighth seed, topped Japan's Ayumi Morita, 6-0, 6-2; qualifier Olga Savchuk of Ukraine knocked off American Jill Craybas, 6-3, 6-3; USA's Christina McHale defeated Taipei's Kai-Chen Chang, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, in a match featuring a pair of qualifiers; and Russian Maria Kirilenko beat qualifier Mirjana Lucic of Croatia, 6-1, 6-4. Blake rolls over Mayer James Blake, still sharpening his game after missing over two months with a right knee injury, rolled to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Leonardo Mayer of Argentina Tuesday in a first-round match at the Farmers Classic. In other matches, Colombia's Alejandro Falla beat Karol Beck of Slovakia 7-6 (3), 6-4, and Benjamin Becker of Germany needed four match points to turn back lucky loser Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador 7-5, 7-6 (6). Lapentti made the draw when American Mardy Fish – winner of his past two tournaments – withdrew because of fatigue. Robby Ginepri beat Ilija Bozoljack of Serbia, 6-3, 6-4; and Ryan Sweeting outlasted Kristof Vliegen of Belgium, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the other day match, Kevin Anderson of South Africa beat Illya Marchenko of the Ukraine, 6-3, 6-2. Somdev Devvarman of India won 6-4, 6-4 against American Steve Johnson. Rochus in 2nd round Olivier Rochus of Belgium upset fifth-seeded Philipp Petzschner of Germany 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of Croatia Open Tuesday. Rochus will face Andreas Seppi of Italy, who defeated Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Potito Starace of Italy beat Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-0, and Jan Hajek of Czech Republic downed Austria's Gerald Melzer 6-4, 6-3 and will meet Melzer's brother, Jurgen, in the next round. Stephane Robert beating Olivier Patience 6-3, 6-2 in an all-French match. Robert will next meet top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, who had a bye in the first round. Dushevina prevails Defending champion Vera Dushevina of Russia defeated Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-2 Wednesday in the second round of the Istanbul Cup. Anastasia Rodionova of Austria beat fifth-seeded Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, and sixth-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany beat Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3. Elena Vesnina of Russia downed Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland 6-3, 6
