Kvitova won their opening

Paris, France (SportsNetwork. Dave Pacella Jersey Store .com) - Former champion and last years runner-up Maria Sharapova and Czech slugger Petra Kvitova won their opening matches at the 2014 French Open on Monday. After waiting out a rain delay, the seventh-seeded Russian star Sharapova needed only 61 minutes to post a 6-1, 6-2 win over compatriot Ksenia Pervak on Court Chatrier. Pervak has yet to win a match in four trips to Roland Garros. "Its always nice to get out there on a day like this. Its good to play first match, as you know," Sharapova said. "Hopefully youll be able to finish the match today with the weather conditions being as they are. Its always nice to get through." Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam at the 2012 French Open and reached the final at this clay court major last year, only to lose to Serena Williams. The fifth-seeded former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova handled Kazakhstans Zarina Diyas 7-5, 6-2 on Day 2, while ninth-seeded Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, overcame a taxing first set to beat French journeywoman Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-0. Also on Day 2, 12th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta flattened Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-2, 6-2 and 16th-seeded 2013 Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki, of Germany, handled Frances Fiona Ferro 6-1, 7-5. Frances Pauline Parmentier upended 17th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; hot 18th-seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard drilled Israeli Shahar Peer 6-0, 6-2; 19th-seeded former U.S. Open champion and former French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur, of Australia, pasted Puerto Rican Monica Puig 6-1, 6-1; 20th-seeded French favorite Alize Cornet raced past Aussie teenager Ashleigh Barty 6-2, 6-1; 28th-seeded German Andrea Petkovic peppered Japans Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-3; and 32nd-seeded Russian Elena Vesnina outlasted American Christina McHale 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 6-3. The 20-year-old Bouchard corralled her first career WTA title in Nuremberg, Germany, two days ago. The 20-year-old Puig was fresh off her first career title in Strasbourg last week in France. Several other women reached the second round, including American Taylor Townsend, Germans Julia Goerges and Mona Barthel, and Austrian Tamira Paszek. Townsend got past fellow American Vania King 7-5, 6-1. Several stars will see opening-round action on Tuesday, including second- seeded Australian Open champion and former Roland Garros titlist Li Na; fourth-seeded Simona Halep; 10th-seeded former French Open runner-up Sara Errani; 11th-seeded former world No. 1 and former Roland Garros winner Ana Ivanovic; and 13th-seeded former top-ranked performer Caroline Wozniacki. Li will take on Frances Kristina Mladenovic, while Errani will encounter American Madison Keys. Frank Nesser Jersey Store .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston. Cedric Killings Jersey Store . Tyrell appeared in seven games with the Lightning this year, he had no points in those appearances. The 24-year-old has seven goals and 17 assists in 132 career NHL games, all coming with the Lightning. He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2007 draft. Canadas freestyle ski team will have a decidedly different look this season. The likes of Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Dara Howell and Mikael Kingsbury will be there, but there was one glaring absence on the squad unveiled Wednesday. Two-time Olympic moguls gold medallist Alex Bilodeau retired after the last World Cup season, leaving a big hole on the team as it begins the long road to the 2018 Games in South Korea. Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win Olympic gold on home soil with his memorable victory at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and he repeated the performance in Sochi earlier this year. Kingsbury, who battled Bilodeau for the last few years and finished second in Russia this winter, says he will miss competing against his rival. "The first couple World Cups, Im going to miss somebody to look up to and to learn from. Hes been a great athlete," Kingsbury said on a conference call. "He pushed me. Since I was very young, he was my role model." Kingsbury is a three-time overall World Cup champion, and while he and Bilodeau were friends away from the hill, they were fierce opponents on it. "Im going to miss him in a way, but in another way he was one of the strongest competitors to have," said Kinsbury, a native of Deux Montagnes, Que. "Im going to try to have new motivation, to continue to push and work hard to stay ranked first in the world." Kingsbury, who turns 22 next week, said Bilodeaus retirement doesnt open any doors because hes already had a lot of success in his young career. "He was the star for sure. He won the Olympics in Vancouver -- first (Canadian) gold medallist to win on home soil -- and Sochi," Kingsbury said. "He won the two days that he needed to win, but at the same time I dont think its my turn to shine because I won the Crystal Globe and he was there, I won the world championship and he was there. China Jerseys Cheap. "At the Olympics he did his run. I tried everything I could to win but he had the run that he needed and he totally deserved it." Like the rest of the freestyle ski team, Kingsburys focus is primed on training for the coming season, with thoughts of the 2018 Olympics in South Korea also lingering. "I just want to continue what Ive been doing, and not do more because Alex is not there," he said. "If he would have continued I would have been super happy and still would have worked hard to win the gold medal in 2018. Thats my next plan. "Its four years -- four years is long. Im going to be ready for 2018 but theres many things to come." Dufour-Lapointe, who won gold in Sochi in womens moguls, said she will take it one year at a time as she starts to build towards the next Games. "Personally I feel like Im still on a high from the Olympics," said the 20-year-old from Montreal. "What keeps me going is I feel like I can still get better and theres room for improvement." Also headlining the Canadian team for the 2014-15 season is Howell, who topped the podium in womens slopestyle in Sochi, Chloe Dufour-Lapointe -- the silver medallist in moguls behind her younger sister at the Games -- and Kim Lamarre, who finished third in slopestyle. The other Sochi medallist on this years team is Mike Riddle, who took silver in halfpipe. The rest of the Canadian freestyle team for the upcoming year includes: aerial skiers Travis Gerrits, Olivier Rochon, Jean-Christophe Andre and Sabrina Guerin; halfpipe skiers Mike Riddle, Justin Dorey, Simon dArtois, Rosalind Groenewoud, Keltie Hansen, Megan Gunning; slopestyle skiers Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Alex Bellemare, Evan McEachran and Kaya Turski; and moguls skiers Marc-Antoine Gagnon, Philippe Marquis, Maxime Dufour-Lapointe and Audrey Robichaud. ' ' '