Sharapova reaches second round

Former champion Maria Sharapova made a stuttering start before beating stubborn qualifier Viktoriya Kutuzova in the first round of the Wimbledon ladies singles.

Sharapova, who triumphed at the All England Club in 2004 when aged just 17, is clearly still not back to her best following shoulder surgery that kept her out of the game for nine months until March.

It showed on Court 1 as the 24-year-old Russian trailed 4-1 and 5-3 in the first set before rattling off a streak of four games without reply.

Both players struggled to hold serve in the second. Sharapova broke Ukraine's Kutuzova for a 5-3 lead to serve for the match, but was broken at love.

She then broke again, converting her first match point when Kutuzova netted a backhand.