Sharapova is coming off a few weeks missing play due to a stomach virus, with the pain leading her to take a pregnancy test, which came out negative. Azarenka in a late match rolled over Russian Alexandra Panova 6-1, 6-0.

the Top 8 seeds receive first round byes, and tough openers include (15) Kohlschreiber vs. (WC) Baker, winner to meet the Harrison vs. Tomic victor; (10) Fish vs. F-Lo, (8) Monaco possibly vs. The Worm 2nd rd., (4) Ferrer possibly vs. Wawrinka 2nd rd., (14) Nishikori vs. Granoller, winner to possibly meet (WC) Blake; (11) Simon vs. Baghdatis, winner to meet Raonic vs. Gasquet victor; (6) Del Potro vs. Nalbandian/Haas winner, (9) Isner vs. Viktor Troicki, victor to face (WC) Hewitt vs. Mikhail Youzhny winner; (3) Murray possibly opening vs. (WC) Querrey, and (13) Dolgopolov vs. Davydenko

Former world No. 1 junior Arantxa Rus ousted No. 5 Sam Stosur 6-2, 0-6, 6-4, and Austrian Tamira Paszek outlasted former No. 1 and No. 7 seed Caroline Wozniacki 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 to lead the charge of the unseeded.

Neither Sharapova nor Errani have appeared in the final at Roland Garros before, so the chances of the Sharapova service yips returning, or Errani feeling the moment, will loom large.

Maria Sharapova is on the verge of her own history weekend.

Errani will next face Stosur, who beat down No. 15 seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 6-1. The Italian Errani is 0-5 career against Stosur, another mountain to climb.

Will Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic meet for a second straight year in the French Open semifinals?

Who’ll be winners Sunday as the men’s top half play their Sweet 16?

“This is just the beginning for me,” said Venus, happy to be on the court again, and working toward a rankings eligibility to play the Olympics for the U.S. “Again. I have to be positive when I walk out on the court. I’m not playing under ideal circumstances but at the moment it’s about improving Olympic chances so I’ll deal with this somehow.”

Unless you count the choking Sam Stosur, the story of the continued round one on Tuesday at the Australian Open was the far-away level of the top players compared to even the upper level of the rank and file.

In her tenth try, Sam Stosur finally beats Maria Sharapova.

“I’m so happy,” Williams said on court afterwards. “Especially with 9/11, to be an American and still in the tournament. I really want to play tomorrow on such a special day for America. It’s been such an arduous, long road. I can’t believe it.”

“I think there’s a healthy jealousy going on right now, which is good,” Roddick said of the American success. “It’s only good to help. If Donald Young sees Ryan Harrison play well in the summer, he’s going to not want to fall behind. I think that’s what you saw with that golden generation is that they were able to push each other.”

Best headline of the week from Canada’s National Post: “Anderson drops a piano on Murray at Rogers Cup”…

Serena Willams, Novak Djokovic are the heavy favorites today to take home titles in Canada.