Although nobody is really giving a chance to Maria Sharapova in terms of winning the tournament, especially since she has just overcame a pretty bad injury, the 4th seeded Russian seems to have regained her great form.


Otherwise, you can't explain her first two rounds victories. After staying less than an hour in the first round, Sharapova crashed Czech's Iveta Benesova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.

And maybe her second round game would have again taken the same amount of time, if it hadn't been for the rain. The 77 minutes rain-break did not stop her, though, from clinching the 3rd round in Paris, nor did it help Benesova to pus some points on the scoreboard.

"It makes you feel like you're starting the tournament (again). It is never easy. But you just have to adjust and be patient. I did not feel I was moving great, still. Painwise it was a lot better", said the Russian teenager after the game. The third round will most likely give her the chance to save all of her strength for the next rounds, since her future opponent shouldn't cause the Russian too many problems. Alicia Molik will have to look her best out there, is she wants to make it happen of Friday.

Here are some other interesting results, mostly concerning the seeded players:

A. Mauresmo - V. Dushevina 6-1, 7-6
J. Jankovici - Marion Bartoli 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
A. Rezai - A. Sugiyama 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
A. Cornet - V. Ruano-Pascal 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
A. Ivanovic - E. Loit 6-1, 6-1