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Three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova dominated the first set before her opponent Jarmila Groth came to life to put up a little bit of a fight during the first night of the $700,000 2009 LA Women's Tennis Championships.

Sharapova, ranked No. 61 in the world, continued her comeback to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour with an impressive 6-0, 6-4 win over Slovakia's Groth on Monday before an energetic crowd at the Home Depot Center.

Maria spent 10 months on the sidelines due a shoulder injury, and was delighted just to get some more matches under her belt, "Playing all these tournaments is a great benefit for me. This is my sixth tournament back and this is going to be a process, a process on things I want to i mprove and work on my game. It's been a good ride so far."

When quizzed about her goals for the rest of the season Maria responded, "I haven't really set milestones. I really wanted to face challenges and opponents that create challenges and am glad I can play girls that bring variety and see how my game matches that. I love the challenges of playing some of the best people in the world."

Wild-card CoCo Vandeweghe followed Sharapova's win with a victory of her own, beating Tathiana Garbin of Italy, 6-4, 6-4, for her first ever WTA Tour win.

"I've tried and failed a couple of times but to finally get my first win under my belt is a nice feeling," said

Also advancing in the first round on Monday was American wild card Vania King, who coasted past Austria's Sybile Bammer 6-3, 6-2. As her reward, King earns a second round Center Court clash with the no. 6 seed Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic will be followed on court by second seed Vera Zvonareva, who takes on Chinese star Shuai Peng.

Top seed and defending champion Dinara Safina opens her campaign on Wednesday.

Other Results:

Flavia Pennetta (10), Italy, def. Varvara Lepchenko, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
Anna Chakvetadze, Russia, def. Virginie Razzano (11), France, 7-6 (5), 6-3
Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic, def. Kaia Kanepi (15), Estonia, 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Jill Craybas, U,.S., def. Francesca Schiavone (16), Italy, 7-6 (7), 6-2
Ai Sugiyama, Japan, def. Carly Gullickson, U.S., 6-3, 6-1
Alisa Kleybanova, Russia, def. Alla Kudryavtseva, Russia, 6-1, 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, def. Nicole Vaidosova, Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-1
Shahar Peer, Israel, def. Anastasia Rodionova, Russia, 7-5, 4-1 ret. (left ankle)
Elena Vesnina, Russia, def. Agnes Szavay, Hungary, 6-1, 6-0
Shuai Peng, China, def. Michaella Krajicek, Netherlands, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3
Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Maghann Shaughnessy, U.S., 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

File Photograph Copyright: Alexisrael