LONDON: Maria Sharapova marked her Olympic debut with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Israel's Shahar Peer under the roof of Centre Court at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Sharapova missed the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to a shoulder injury and world number three has been determined to savor every minute of his first appearance at the Games.
The 25-year-old, carried the flag of his country at the opening ceremony on Friday and produced few fireworks in front of their co-bombardment of 65 minutes in a first round match played indoors due to rain persistent.
Sharapova, who aspires to complete a Golden Slam of all four major titles and Olympic gold singles, will play Laura Robson of Great Britain or Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic Republic in the last 32.
Just weeks after winning the French Open for the first time, Sharapova seemed mentally exhausted in a surprising defeat in Wimbledon fourth round against Sabine Lisicki earlier this month.
She lost her position atop the world rankings after a disappointing defeat, but the Olympics appear to have provided the perfect cure for any hangover at Wimbledon.
Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, lost his serve in the first game of the match but seemed to act as a warning to the Russian and she responded with three breaks of his own to take the set.
Peer, ranked 49 in the world, had lost their six previous meetings with Sharapova and, after failing to convert three break points in the first game of the second set, I was blown away again.
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