Off-key Sharapova survives a scare to sneak into the second round

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"Apart from eating and breathing the sand it was great," she joked, after eventually winning 6-1, 3-6, 8-6 yesterday in gusting winds that whipped up clouds of clay on the main court at Roland Garros.

It took her nearly twoand- a-half hours to get past the 19-year-old Rodina, who in the third set twice got the score to 30-30 as the top seed served to stay in the match.

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Sharapova was given a stiff test

Sharapova is at her least happy on European clay and there were times when her obscure compatriot looked set to take full advantage.

The conditions were undoubtedly a leveller but the top seed's poor movement also gave Rodina more chance of causing an upset. In self-deprecating form afterwards, Sharapova remarked: "There was not a lot of footwork today. I shouldn't be tired because I didn't move too much, that's a good thing."

Joking apart, the world No 1 should be relieved to have survived because she may never get such a good opportunity to win the one Grand Slam that eludes her.

She is in the top half of the draw, tucked away from her main rivals, the Williams sisters and the Serbs Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, so if she can get some momentum the fortnight has promise.