SAO PAULO, Brazil _ Amaya Valdemoro scored 17 points and led three teammates in double figures as Spain opened basketball's Women's World Championship with an 87-57 victory over South Korea on Tuesday.

Elisa Aguilar had 15, Marta Fernandez added 13 and Ana Montanana chipped in with 12 in the nearby city of Barueri as the Spanish, whose male counterparts won the men's championship earlier this month, had the most lopsided first-day result in the 16-team championship.

"Today, our defense was our strongest point," Valdemoro said, adding that she was slowly recovering from an injured calf.

"We started the championship very well," coach Domingo Diaz said. "Our defense was almost perfect."

In other games Tuesday, Helen scored with 10 seconds remaining to give Brazil a 71-69 victory over archrival Argentina in Sao Paulo.

Lithuania finally made it into Brazil after being help up in French Guyana because of a travel problem, but still had to forfeit its first game _ against Australia _ because it didn't arrive in time.

The team, which had been training in Martinique, was forced to fly through French Guyana on Sunday because its scheduled flight to Sao Paulo was canceled. But due to a yellow fever outbreak in French Guyana, and the Lithuanian team not being inoculated against the disease, the side was refused entry.

After days of diplomatic negotiating, and subsequent vaccinations, Brazilian officials waived the normal 10-day quarantine and the team was to arrive in Sao Paulo late Tuesday.

Elsewhere, in Barueri, France defeated the Czech Republic 62-58, Cuba downed Taiwan 75-20 and Russia trounced Nigeria 84-50.

In late games, the two-time defending champion United States faced China and Canada played Senegal.