By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Magdalena Rybarikova spoiled Maria Sharapova's homecoming scoring a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory to reach the Moscow round of 16.
Photo credit: WTA Ladies Linz
Russian flags were waving behind the baseline as Maria Sharapova whipped shadow swings between points.
Moscow fans gave Sharapova a rousing welcome in her Kremlin Cup return, but Magdalena Rybarikova spoiled the party.
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Mixing spins masterfully and moving fluidly, Rybarikova slashed Sharapova, 7-6 (3), 6-4, advancing to a second-round Moscow match against Alizé Cornet.
Fresh off her run to the Linz final, the Wimbledon semifinalist scored her fifth win in her last six matches muting both the shrieking Sharapova and supportive Russian crowd.
“It was very difficult for me,” said Rybarikova, who beat Sharapova for the first time. “Maria is a superstar here. She is a real champion. I’m sorry I won. I’m just happy I went through. It’s good for my confidence and I’m really happy for that.”
Sharapova won her first title in 29 months in Tianjin on Sunday and was eager to extend her winning streak, but was befuddled at times by her opponent’s shifting speeds and spins.
The Russian wild card is at her best commanding the center of the court, but Rybarikova made the six-foot-two Sharapova move side-to-side denying her rhythm and eliciting errors from her flat-hitting opponent.
The five-time Grand Slam champion doubled her opponent's winner output (31 to 15), but committed 46 unforced errors—29 more than Rybarikova.
"Support was great, a full stadium of spectators," Sharapova said. "I knew that all Russia had worried about me for last two years, and I wanted to show my best here, but it’s not happened. I think that is all ahead."
Playing with taping around her right thigh, Rybarikova effectively made this match about movement and angles from the start. Sharapova fought off three break points holding for 2-1.
In the 11th game, Sharapova fended off three break points, including a second serve ace down the T and a backhand winner, but sent a backhand long to face a fourth break point.
Slapping a backhand into net, Sharapova dropped serve then called for coach Sven Groeneveld, who urged his charge to step into the court, move forward and try to take Rybarikova's slice out of the air.
“You must fully commit to that one thing and then the rewards are there,” Groeneveld said.
Drawing successive forehand errors, Sharapova broke back to force the tie break.
Sharapova smacked a whistling running forehand down the line—her 20th winner of the set—to take a 2-0 tie break lead.
A determined Rybarikova picked up her play, while Sharapova dissolved in errors for the duration of the tie break.
Exploiting the 30-year-old Russian’s inadequate spin, Rybarikova dipped drop shots and slice forcing Sharapova to play shots from below the height of the net.
Four consecutive errors from the former world No. 1, including a double fault off the tape and a sitter forehand she sprayed wide, gave Rybarikova three set points. Lashing a backhand down the line to open the court, Rybarikova rifled a forehand down the opposite sideline snatching a one-set lead after 68 minutes.
A casual forehand drop shot stamped a love hold and 4-3 second-set lead for Rybarikova.
Two games later, Sharapova blasted a return right back at her opponent that rattled out an error for break point. Sharapova tried squeezing a forehand down the line, but missed the mark—her 40th unforced error of the match.
Playing determined defense, Rybarikova dodged a potential break point when Sharapova badly bungled another forehand sitter. A probing serve set up a forehand winner as the 29-year-old Slovak held for 5-4.
When Sharapova pushed a weary backhand into net Rybarikova had two match points. Another netted backhand into the net ended Sharapova’s season after one hour, 55 minutes.
The eighth-seeded Slovak will face Cornet for a spot in the quarterfinals.
“Alizé Cornet is very difficult, she plays totally different from Maria,” Rybarikova said. “She runs very well and she's also a big fighter so it’s gonna be a very tough match. I want to enjoy today’s victory and I want to think about tomorrow’s match tomorrow.”
Julia Goerges needed only 75 minutes to dismiss 186th-ranked Russian Polina Monova, 6-0, 6-3. The seventh-seeded Goerges will play Yulia Putintseva for a quarterfinal spot.