Defending Pacific Life Open champion Daniela Hantuchova got off to a flying start in her return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the site of two of her three career Tour title triumphs, brushing aside American wild card Angela Haynes 6-1, 6-2 on Friday afternoon.

The fifth-seeded Slovak reeled off four straight games to begin and end her second round opener. She dropped just seven points on serve and broke Haynes five times in nine chances to close out the win in 68 minutes.

"It felt great. Really, it was an incredible feeling to be back on the center court," said Hantuchova. "I definitely feel like it's my home out there. Really feels like it's the best court in the world for me. I was really having a lot of fun, even though the conditions were tough. It was very windy, but I'm very glad how I handled the conditions."

Hantuchova won the Pacific Life Open title in 2002, becoming one of only five players to win her debut Tour title at a Tier I event, but needed to wait another five years to collect her second title, in her last appearance at this event.

Russian No. 4 seed Maria Sharapova, the 2006 champion, made it an easy day's work with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of French qualifier Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, keeping her on track for a blockbuster quarterfinal match against Hantuchova.

The 20-year-old Sharapova now improves to a perfect 15-0 record for the 2008 season. She won her third career Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and followed with her 18th Tour singles title in Doha.

She said: "I've been playing good enough tennis to not be nervous before my first round.  Obviously you never know what kind of tennis you're going to produce in these kind of conditions. But I think against an opponent that didn't give me much rhythm, I think I handled it pretty well."

The other seeded women also came out in full force for the start of second round action, Friday in Indian Wells, led by No. 2 seed and 2007 finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, who opened her title bid with a 6-1, 6-1 win over fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

American veteran Jill Craybas held her own against No. 6 seed Dinara Safina for more than two hours, but still fell to the Russian in straight sets, 7-6(3), 7-5. Israeli No. 9 seed Shahar Peer saved 10 of the 11 break point chances she faced to defeat Uzbekistani Akgul Amanmuradova 6-1, 6-4, and No. 10 seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated Ukraine’s Mariya Koryttseva, 6-1, 7-6(3).

Meanwhile, former World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo defeated Romanian Edina Gallovits 6-2, 6-4. Mauresmo, who reached the quarterfinals here in 2003, is the No. 17 seed this week.