CARSON, Calif., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Flavia Pennetta and Maria Sharapova were first-round winners Monday at the LA Women's Tennis Championships in Carson, Calif.
Pennetta, of Italy -- the 2008 runner-up -- eliminated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-0. Sharapova, of Russia, dropped Slovak Jarmila Groth 6-0, 6-4 to advance to a second-round match against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.