Murray loses at Wimbledon

Stockport tennis player Samantha Murray has lost her first round match to Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon.

The French Open champion brushed off early hiccups with her serve to ease past the British hope in straight sets.

Fifth seed Sharapova indicated exactly why she sits 242 world ranking places ahead of 26-year-old Murray, coasting home 6-1 6-0 on Tuesday.

Murray produced several smart winners, but wasted three break points in the first set, and never recovered.

Sharapova's routine victory will have gone some way to exorcising last year's lacklustre second-round exit at the hands of Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito.

The 2004 champion exerted her five-time grand slam-winning class to consign wild card entrant Murray to a second successive first-round Wimbledon exit.

Murray followed Brits Johanna Konta, Dan Evans, Dan Cox, James Ward and Kyle Edmund in falling at the first hurdle.

Sharapova's rusty serve raised immediate problems, the frustrated Russian facing an immediate break point thanks to three double faults.

Unable to capitalise on that early chance, Murray held her opening service game - only to let another break point slip in the very next game.

Murray's nerves bit as she dropped a straightforward game-winning volley into the net next, en route to handing Sharapova the first service break.

The fifth seed's confidence and service action restored, next came the power plays.

Sharapova held to love then broke Murray for a second time, before fending off a third break point to serve out the set.

The 27-year-old's merciless drive yielded a near-flawless second set, with Murray unable to claim even a single game.