Maria Sharapova has made a successful return to the WTA Tour in Mallorca.
The Five-time major champion battled through a testy opening set with Slovakia’s Viktoria Kuzmova and eventually prevailed 7-6(8) 6-0 to book a second-round clash with top-seeded Angelique Kerber.
Kerber got past Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium in the final match of the day at Mallorca. Kerber has won three straight against Sharapova, including a three-set battle on grass at Wimbledon in 2014. The pair are locked at 4-4 lifetime in their head-to-head.
Sharapova, who had been out of action with a shoulder injury since late January, saved two set points in the opening-set tiebreaker and then took charge in the second set to race past the unsettled 21-year-old World No.46.
"It's always nice to get a victory," Sharapova said after the match. "It's been a while since I've been out there, so it was good to put down a few things I've worked on, put the arms into action. There's still a lot to work on and improve, but I had to start somewhere."
Sharapova dropped just six points in the second set and won 30 of 38 first serve points overall to clinch the win in one hour and 29 minutes.
The victory marks Sharapova’s first win on grass since 2015. She missed the grass season entirely in 2016 and 2017 and last year she fell in the opening round at Wimbledon to Vitalia Diatchenko.
The Russian improves to 81-19 lifetime on the surface—she owns three titles, including Wimbledon in 2004, on grass.
Elsewhere in Mallorca, 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova notched her first career win on grass, 3-6 7-6(7) 6-4 over Tereza Martincova, while last week's Nottingham champ Caroline Garcia stretched her winning streak to six victories with a 1-6 6-4 7-5 triumph over Victoria Azarenka.
The Frenchwoman was a set down and also a break down in the third before she came through in two hours.
Ons Jabeur (d. Juvan), Shelby Rogers (d. Zhang Shuai) and Samantha Stosur (d. Zheng Saisai) were also winners on Tuesday in Mallorca.
2nd-seeded Anastasija Sevastova came through as well, defeating American Varvara Lepchenko, 6-3, 7-6(5). The Latvian improved to 14-2 lifetime in Mallorca--she won the title in 2017 and reached the final in 2016 and 2018.
Spanish wild card Paula Badosa defeated Alison Riske in three sets while Alize Cornet knocked off Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0 6-1.