Maria Sharapova's Stuttgart comeback could provide a second-round grudge match.
Former world No. 1 Sharapova will launch her return on the red clay of Stuttgart next week facing 34-year-old Italian Roberta Vinci in the opening round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The Stuttgart draw was released today and it presents the prospect of some Sharapova grudge matches.
Watch: Pregnant Serena Plans Comeback
The April 26th comeback will be Sharapova's first match since she lost in the 2016 Australian Open quarterfinals to Serena Williams. Sharapova tested positive for the banned substance meldonium after that match and served a 15-month doping ban.
Sharapova has dropped just four games sweeping four sets against the US Open finalist.
Should she prevail the five-time Grand Slam champion could meet nemesis Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round if Radwanska defeats Ekaterina Makarova in her opener.
Radwanska joined world ATP No. 1 Andy Murray, WTA No. 1 Angelique Kerber, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and other players who expressed opposition to Sharapova receiving wild cards coming off a doping ban.
Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome have awarded Sharapova wild cards. Roland Garros and Wimbledon have yet to announce wild cards.
"Now in Germany, next in Spain, but so far she hasn't been invited to play at Slams in Paris and London and in my opinion that's how it should remain," Radwanska told Poland's sports daily Przeglad Sportowy in comments published by Reuters. "She should win her place thanks to good results."
Those comments prompted Sharapova's agent, Max Eisenbud, to fire back branding Radwanska and Wozniacki as "journeyman players" who are trying to keep his client out of events and "have no clue" about the facts of her doping case in comments to journalist Ben Rothenberg.
If Sharapova, who has beaten Radwanska in 13 of 15 meetings, advances to the quarterfinals she could clash with third-seeded Dominika Cibulkova, who trashed the Russian as "a totally unlikeable person... arrogant, conceited and cold" in the aftermath of her doping ban.
Launching her comeback in Stuttgart makes sense for several reasons. Sharapova is a three-time Stuttgart champion, she’s a long-time Porsche endorser and in recent years red clay has been her best surface. Four of Sharapova’s last five titles—the 2014 Roland Garros, Madrid and Stuttgart championships and 2015 Rome title—came on clay.
Photo credit: Zimbio