Strasbourg Preview

After her first round loss to Lucie Safarova at Madrid, Maria Sharapova will be hoping to hit the red clay running as top seed at the Internationaux de Strasbourg this week.

She'll have to: The three-time Grand Slam champion's opener is against fellow Russian Regina Kulikova, who has been working her way up the rankings this year and has the big game to threaten the former world No.1.

On the other side of the draw, Sharapova's friend Elena Vesnina is Strasbourg's No.2 seed. Vesnina doesn't want for motivation either: currently ranked 34th in the world, she is the second-highest ranked player yet to win a singles title on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, after Dominika Cibulkova. She could bump into Alizé Cornet - who might just be primed for a resurgence on her favorite surface - in the second round.

Like Sharapova, third seed Virginie Razzano has been awarded a wildcard as she makes her first appearance since suffering a first round loss at Charleston. A right foot injury has been the cause of the Frenchwoman's absence, but by contrast fourth seed Peng Shuai has been in good form, reaching the semis at Estoril. The Chinese player also has good stocks in Strasbourg - she was runner-up to Nicole Vaidisova here in 2006.

Three-time champion Anabel Medina Garrigues (2005, 2007-08), who enjoyed a confidence-boosting run to the last 16 at Madrid, is seeded fifth, with Austrian Sybille Bammer the No.6 seed. The veteran lefty's first round opponent is Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier, who is the recipient of a wildcard.

Latvia's Anastasija Sevatsova, who broke through for her first Tour title at Estoril earlier this month, is the No.7 seed while surging Brit Elena Baltacha rounds out the seeds at No.8.

The $220,000 International tournament's other wildcard is French teen Kristina Mladenovic, who opens against Stefanie Voegele. Lucie Hradecka, who was runner-up to Aravane Rezai here last year, opens her campaign against France's Julie Coin. Hradecka and her doubles partner, Chuang Chia-Jung are the top seeds in the doubles.