Rome Masters

The 18-year-old Russian, top seed in the Italian capital, will replace Lindsay Davenport at the top of the rankings if she triumphs this week.

"A year ago I'd just turned 17 and a lot has happened since then," said Sharapova, who lost in the third round at Rome in 2004.

"Strength-wise I feel a lot stronger on the court. I can play more matches in a row without getting tired, which is important on clay, where you often get tough matches."

She next faces in-form eighth seed Patty Schnyder, who crushed another 18-year-old Russian, the unseeded Evgenia Lintskaya, 6-1, 6-0

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