SHANGHAI, China -- Lisa Leslie scored 20 points to lead the United States to a 89-55 victory over Russia on Saturday, the first day of the Women's World Basketball Championship.

Leslie, a 6-5 center who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, scored 11 points in the third quarter. Sheryl Swoopes of the Houston Comets added 17 points.

The defending world champions led 48-28 at halftime and coasted to victory. The Americans won the gold medal last week at the World Challenge in Sydney, Australia.

The United States forced 20 turnovers and held Russia's top-scorer Elena Baranova to 11 points, four below the 6-5 center's average. Oksana Zakaluzhnaya added 10 points for Russia.

The Americans are aiming for their seventh gold medal since the championships began in 1953. They are 3-0 against Russia in world championship play, including two in 1998.

The Russians, who dominated the world championships in the 1960s through 1980s as the Soviet Union, won a silver in 1998.

They clinched a berth in this world championship with a silver medal in last year's European championship.

Australia, which placed second in last week's World Challenge, beat Spain 73-58.

Penny Taylor and Trisha Fallon led with 14 points apiece as Australia led from start to finish.

Brazil held off a third-quarter rally by China to win 85-73. Janeth Arcain, a guard with the Comets, led Brazil with 22 points.

The Chinese, who trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half, pulled within six before Brazil pulled away.

Agne Abromait scored 16 of her 17 points in the first quarter to lead Lithuania to a 92-80 victory over Taiwan.

Lithuania is appearing in its first world championship since its independence from the Soviet Union more than a decade ago.

In other games, South Korea routed Tunisia 124-70; Argentina topped Japan 74-65, and Yugoslavia beat Senegal 94-66. France, the 2001 European champion, defeated Cuba 92-61.

The world championships, held at sites around China's eastern province of Jiangsu, end Sept. 25.