MADRID: Maria Sharapova beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in an all-Russian match Monday to advance to the third round at the Madrid Open. The eighth-seeded Sharapova broke Makarova three times and dropped serve only once in the match. “I lost some focus but it was important to let that go and concentrate on taking my opportunities in the third set,” said Sharapova, whose most recent title was at Strasbourg in May 2010. In the first round, sixth-seeded Li Na of China ousted Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-4, 7-6 (6). She next plays Iveta Benesova, who defeated fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-3, 6-2. Russian Alisa Kleybanova defeated ninth seed Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-2 and Italy's Roberta Vinci followed up her Barcelona title from the weekend with a winning start over Olga Govortsova of Belarus, 6-4, 6-0. On the men's side, ninth-seeded Gael Monfils of France downed Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-3, 7-6 (6) and France's Michael Llodra beat Sam Querrey of the United States 6-2, 6-3. In other matches, Marin Cilic of Croatia beat Italy's Potito Starace 7-6 (5), 6-4, Xavier Malisse of Belgium defeated Victor Hanescu of Romania 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 and Adrian Mannarino put out Argentine Juan Ignazio Chela 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Meanwhile, Roger Federer has wiped his clay-court slate clean and was Monday heading into his start here with renewed enthusiasm as he bids to correct the errors which bothered him in his spring debut on the surface a fortnight ago. The two-time Madrid champion Swiss, seeded third behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who is 27-0 for the year to date, admitted to some errors in strategy last month when he lost a Monte Carlo quarterfinal to Jurgen Melzer. After training in Switzerland with another Austrian, Stefan Koubek, Federer pronounced himself fit for a long haul which not only includes the clay-court run through the French Open but also the grass campaign and a Swiss Davis Cup quarterfinal to follow Wimbledon.
