Russia's Elena Dementieva breezed past Anne Keothavong 6-1, 6-4 in the opening round of the $700 000 WTA Bank of the West Classic on Monday.

"For the first round it was a good match," Dementieva said. "I was playing well but I hope to have a practice and work on some things."

Third seeded Dementieva advances to the second round where she will face the winner of an all-Russian match between Maria Kirilenko and Anna Chakvetadze.

Maria Sharapova continued her comeback from shoulder surgery by outlasting pesky Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-1 in the night session.

Dementieva cruised through the first set then raced out to a 5-1 lead in the second before finishing off Britains' Keothavong, who was trying to reach her first WTA Tour final.

Dementieva is making her first appearance in the Stanford event.

Sugiyama made Sharapova work for the two hour, 28 minute three-set victory. Sharapova got off to a slow start but then rallied to take the first set 6-4.

Sugiyama broke Sharapova in the 10th game of the second to level at 5-5 and then won the tiebreaker before Sharapova easily took the third set.

In other first-round matches, seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, spanked Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-1 and Monica Niculescu, of Romania, hammered American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-1, 6-0.

The tournament features five of the world's top 10 players, including Venus Williams, Serena Williams.

Maria Sharapova was scheduled to take the court in the night session to face pesky Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.

Top seeded Serena Williams also has a tough opening round opponent, facing Chinese star Li Na on Tuesday.