Sharapova routs to reach quarters

WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Maria Sharapova routed Darya Kustova 6-2, 6-0 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Warsaw Open in her first singles tournament since returning from shoulder surgery.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner needed only 57 minutes to down Kustova.

"I played a solid game and did everything that I had to do in order to win today," Sharapova said. "More importantly right now than ever, is just to do the right things and to work on my game. It doesn't really matter who I'm playing."

She will face eighth-seeded Alona Bondarenko, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Marta Domachowska.

Sharapova had surgery for a torn rotator cuff last year and missed the past two Grand Slam tournaments. She said the shoulder hasn't bothered her in Warsaw, and the only sign of the injury were two strips of white tape on her right shoulder.

"Right now it's just a thrill to be out there and competing," she said.

Sharapova, playing in her first WTA tour singles tournament in nearly 10 months, is trying to regain the form that led her to the No. 1 ranking in 2005. She dropped to No. 126 while sidelined with the injury, but despite showing a few signs of rust, the Russian didn't face much of a challenge from the 209th-ranked Kustova.

Sharapova broke the Belarusian in the second game of the first set, and her only slip of the match came when she double-faulted when leading 4-0 to give Kustova a break. But she quickly recovered and claimed the first set with a forehand winner that clipped the baseline.

Sharapova stressed she still faces a long road back to championship form.

"I think I still need match play, and being in different situations in the matches is going to give me that feeling back and that experience back," she said.

In other second-round matches, Anne Keothavong downed Jill Craybas of the United States 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru upset fifth-seeded Sara Errani 6-4, 6-3.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.