Kvitova, Sharapova power into second round

MELBOURNE: Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova powered into the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday as Russia's Maria Sharapova also won her first match with ease.

After going 2-0 down at the start of the match, Kvitova won 12 straight games to sweep aside Russia's Vera Dushevina in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 in 71 minutes.

The Czech left-hander dropped her first service game but once she found her range there was nothing Dushevina could do to stop the onslaught.

Kvitova, 21, who reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne last year, broke the Russian three times in each set and faced only two break points on her own serve, underlining her dominance.

Kvitova now goes on to play Carla Suarez Navarro after the tricky Spaniard beat Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 7-5.

Former champion Sharapova demolished Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour.

Sharapova, who won the title in 2008, was at her ruthless best as she overpowered the Argentine in stifling conditions.

It was an impressive display by Sharapova against a player who was once ranked as high as 26 in the world.