By Chris Oddo | Tuesday August 1, 2017
It had been a long time. And it meant a lot. Maria Sharapova’s 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 victory over American Jennifer Brady marked the Russia’s first victory in the United States since the spring of 2015.
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“I feel like I just want to hug everyone and say thank you,” Sharapova said after her victory. "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."
Sharapova had to battle with the 22-year-old World No.80—no surprise, given how little Sharapova has played and also that she had recently returned from injury.
The Russian has played just nine matches since returning from a 15-month doping ban in Stuttgart this spring. She injured her thigh during the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at Rome and had to skip Wimbledon.
"I had a bit of a letdown but that's the way it is," Sharapova said of her victory over Brady. "I feel like I faced a lot of things: not competing for a long time, an opponent who's able to play some great tennis."
Sharapova, an unseeded wild card, is slated to face No.7-seeded Lesia Tsurenko in the second round at Stanford.
Tsurenko rolled past Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena, 6-0, 6-3.
In other first-round action at the Bank of the West Classic, Kayla Day defeated Misaki Doi to set up a second-round clash with top-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza. No.5-seeded Ana Konjuh advanced when Marina Erakovic was forced to retire due to injury in the second set.
Natalia Vikhlyantseva and Nicole Gibbs were also winners on Monday at Stanford.