Sharapova posts straight-set win in Brisbane

BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Maria Sharapova, returning after a layoff due to injury, dropped only three games in a first-round win Monday at the Brisbane International tennis tournament.

Sharapova, the No. 3 seed, opened her 2014 season with a 6-3 6-0 rout of Carolina Garcia, dropping just nine points on serve and not facing a break point. Sharapova lost eight points overall -- two on serve -- in the second-set shutout.

Sharapova had played just three matches -- and not at all since August -- after losing in the finals of the 2013 French Open because of a shoulder injury.

Jelena Jankovic, seeded fourth, got by Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) in a match that took nearly 2 hours and fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Kristina Mladenovic.

No. 8-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro rolled by Hsieh Su-Wei 6-2, 6-1 in 58 minutes and ninth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova ousted Heather Watson 6-4, 6-3 behind four breaks.

Also Monday, Ashleigh Barty defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 7-5; Kaia Kanepi edged Alexandra Panova 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 6-2; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova outlasted Alla Kudryavtseva 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-3; and Casey Dellacqua rallied to beat Galina Voskoboeva 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.