She came, she was seen and she simply blew Anne Kremer away.

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova begun the defence of her DFS Classic title in blistering form yesterday as she treated a sell-out crowd to the full range of her talents.

All the features that made her such a popular winner on the lawns at both Edgbaston Priory and SW19 last summer were on display against the outgunned Kremer.

It took less than an hour for the slapping serve, booming forehand and pumping fist to turn into rather more benign blown kisses as the 18-year-old world No 2 eased into a third-round match with either Evie Dominikovic or Samantha Stosur tomorrow.

In fact, having won the first set 6-3, her superiority in the second was so complete that she could afford to win the fourth game with a high volley and the fifth with the help of an even rarer sight - a Sharapova drop shot.

It is difficult to imagine a more resounding statement of intent as the Russian teenager looks to make this grass court season as successful as the last when she not only won here in Birmingham but swept every one aside at the All England Club to claim her first Grand Slam title.

That said, there were stutters yesterday. She was broken to love in the third game of the match and just for a split second the tournament contemplated life without its brightest star.

It needn't have bothered because Sharapova broke back straight away and allowed her 29-year-old opponent just one more game in the entire match.

"It was good to get out there. I felt a little bit nervous at the beginning, not knowing what to expect from my first match, but as I got into it I started to play better and better," Sharapova said.

"It feels really good to be back on grass. I am still working on a lot of new things because it's so much of a change from clay but as the rounds go on I will keep improving."

Which is something of a frightening prospect for the rest of the Priory field, who will all be aware that the competition's top seed is hitting well off both flanks and serving with more pace than she did last year.

She puts that down to her physical development - it is easy to forget she is still growing - and a more positive mental attitude.

"I was just trying to hit the ball freely and not be tentative," she said. "It was my first match and I have had first matches where I have held back and not gone for my shots at the beginning in case I make a few errors.

"But I am going to be more decisive. I was not going to just hit it back to her I wanted to make sure I was in control of the match."

Which she did. Her first of three breaks in a second set won to love is such a case in point. She demoralised Kremer with three brutal backhands and took the game without losing a point.

She was forced to save two break points in the next game, which she did with an ace and a forehand winner, and from then it was a stroll in the sunshine.

Elsewhere, Nicole, Nicole Vaidisova, who many are tipping as the next Sharapova, also won through in straight sets beating French woman Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-3, 6-2.

It was the Czech girl's first senior match on grass and, although she was pleased to get through, the 16-year-old far from gushing about the experience.

"It was tough and was just a question of getting used to it and trying to move on it," Vaidisova said. "The bounce was a little frustrating because it's so different to clay but I'll have to get used to it in time for my next match and Wimbledon."

She will now play Eleni Daniilidou and there were also wins for Anna Chakvetadze, Tamarine Tanasugarn, Nicole Pratt, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Kirilenko, Meilen Tu, Rika Fujiwara, Maria Vento-Kabchi, Jamea Jackson, Natalie Grandin, Milagros Sequera and Evie Dominikovic.