Santa Clara (the US): Maria Sharapova shook off some rust after injury and a 15-month doping ban to beat Jennifer Brady in her first match in the United States in more than two years at the Stanford Classic tennis tournament here Monday.
The five-time Grand Slam champion had been out of action since May after suffering a thigh injury during the Italian Open. She struggled a bit before defeating Brady 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.
“I feel like I just want to hug everyone and say thank you,” Sharapova told an on-court interview after her triumph as a tournament wildcard. “It’s my first match in the States in a really long time, and it’s the closest thing to home for me. The welcome has been incredible and finally playing so close to home was really special.”
In the opening set, Sharapova saved three breakpoints in the sixth game but managed to hold to take a 5-1 lead before she sealed the set in the next game.
Brady rebounded when she raced away to a 3-0 lead in the second set, before Sharapova regrouped to run away with the match in the third to set up a clash with seventh seed Lesia Tsurenko, who beat Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino 6-3, 6-3.
“I had a bit of a letdown but that’s the way it is,” Sharapova said of her loss of the second set. “I feel like I face a lot of things: not competing for a long time, (and) an opponent who’s able to play some great tennis.”
In the only other match played on the day, Nicole Gibbs of the US defeated her country counterpart Liu Chang 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(7-5).
