Sharapova beats Gavrilova in Russia

Australian Daria Gavrilova has gone down to Maria Sharapova in the first round of a WTA Tour event in Russia.

Maria Sharapova in action during her match against Australian Daria Gavrilova in St Petersburg. (AAP)

Maria Sharapova has beaten Australia's Daria Gavrilova 6-0 6-4 for her first WTA win in her native Russia for 13 years.

The win at the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy sets up a second-round match against Russian No. 1 Daria Kasatkina.

Sharapova brushed aside Gavrilova in the first set before the Australian raced to 4-2 in the second.

But Sharapova won four straight games and closed out the match.

Sharapova has rarely played Russian tour events during her career, and when she has she's never got past the quarterfinals.

Sharapova won her only previous meeting with Kasatkina in straight sets in Montreal in August.

Meanwhile, Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva advanced to the second round by beating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-4.

34-year-old Zvonareva returned to the top 100 in the rankings this month after a six-year absence.

Zvonareva will next play either Julia Goerges of Germany or Maria Sakkari of Greece in the second round.

Also, Alison van Uytvanck defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-2 6-4, setting up a second-round match against fourth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka.