Seles gives Sharapova tennis lesson

Monica Seles contributed to Maria Sharapova's tennis education on Thursday, handing the 14-year-old Russian prodigy a 6-0, 6-2 tennis lesson to ease into the third round of the Indian Wells Masters.

"Today I learned there's big difference between a junior and a pro...a big difference," said Sharapova, whose striking looks and talent have drawn the inevitable comparisons to compatriot and tennis glamour queen Anna Kournikova.

"I learned that if you want to be a pro it's going to take a lot of practice and concentration.

"I want to become a pro and now I know what it takes from every match and especially this match.

"I'm going to remember this my whole life.

"Today I played against an unbelievable pro and I think I handled it pretty well.

"I had no fear and went out there and played the best I could.

"I never thought about losing, I never do. I never gave up.

"I did my best."

A day after exalting in her first WTA victory, Sharapova was still smiling as she faced her first professional loss, blown away by Seles in just 59 minutes on a blustery centre court.

The statuesque Siberian began aggressively charging to the net on Seles's opening serve and blasting a forehand winner past the fourth seed, forging ahead 0-30.

But Seles, who claimed the first of her nine Grand Slam titles when her opponent was just three years old, would not be rattled sweeping the first seven games and stamping her authority on the match.

In the second set Sharapova matched Seles shot-for-shot and grunt-for-grunt through the first four games.

CLASS SHOWED

But Seles' experience and class eventually showed through, the 28-year-old American breaking her young opponent twice on way to taking the next four games and the match.

"For her age she's just great," assessed Seles, who is enjoying a strong start to the new season having claimed her 52nd career title in Doha last month and reached at least the semifinals of the five tournaments she has played.

"You have to be ready because she has the game and nothing to lose.

"She goes for her shots and hits strong from both sides."

Sixth seed Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States, the only other seed to see action, cruised into the third round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Germany's Martina Muller in match that was played in sand storm.

Israel's Anna Smashnova rediscovered her winning form dismissing American Melissa Middleton 6-4, 6-3 to ease into the second round.

The season has been boom or bust for the 25-year-old Smashnova, who won her first two tournaments of the new campaign in Auckland and Canberra but failed to win a match ever since, falling in the opening round of the Australian Open and Acapulco.

Iva Majoli's slow start to the season continued as the former-French Open champion was dispatched 7-6 6-1 by 18-year-old Italian and doubles partner Virginie Razzano.

Majoli, who has not won a title since her Grand Slam victory at Roland Garros in 1997, has just one win in four events this season.