By Adrianna Outlaw | Sunday, May 7, 2017
Maria Sharapova stopped Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, setting up a Madrid clash with one of her harshest critics, Genie Bouchard.
Photo credit: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
The Madrid rematch could be a major grudge match.
Wild card Maria Sharapova stormed past Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, setting up a highly-anticipated rematch with one of her harshest critics, Genie Bouchard in a clash that could be dripping with antipathy.
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The 30-year-old Russian has beaten Bouchard in all four of their prior meetings, most notably a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, victory in the 2014 Roland Garros semifinals. Sharapova went on to defeat Simona Halep 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, to claim her second Roland Garros title.
The 60th-ranked Bouchard joined several players, including world No. 1 Andy Murray, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and Kristina Mladenovic, voicing opposition to Sharapova—or any player—receiving wild cards following doping bands.
Sharapova, who served a 15-month doping ban after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, has received wild cards into Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome.
Former Wimbledon finalist Bouchard went a step further, however, branding Sharapova “a cheater” and asserting she should not be permitted to play after committing a doping violation.
“She’s a cheater,” Bouchard told TRT World. “I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again. It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true. I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids: Cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms. I don’t think that’s right and [Sharapova is] not someone I can say I look up to anymore because it’s definitely ruined it for me a little bit.”
Following her Madrid opening-round victory Bouchard did not back off her desire to face the five-time Grand Slam champion—her former tennis hero—saying she will “have a bit more motivation” for the rematch.
"I hope I can play Maria,” Bouchard said after her three-set victory over Alize Cornet in her opener yesterday. “Once I step on the court, everything will be to the side. But, you know, inside myself, I think I'll have a bit more motivation.”
The 30-year-old Sharapova said the Canadian's criticism won't influence her approach to the match.
"It's not the way I go about my job, and I never really have," Sharapova said. "I've been in the public eye since I was a very young girl. I've heard a lot of things. If everything affects you on and off the court, I think that would be a really challenging position to be in.
"Yeah, it's not the way I think. My tennis speaks for itself, and that's what I focus on."
Pointing to Bouchard's aggressive style of stepping in to take the ball on the rise, Sharapova said she expect a match of first-strike tennis.
"I think in terms of a game style, there's a little bit of similarities to who I played today: very aggressive, inside the court, takes the ball on the rise, doesn't give you much time," Sharapova said. "All the things that hopefully I can improve from today's match and take it against her."
Playing the fifth match of her comeback, Sharapova converted seven of 19 break points and exploited eight double faults from the Australian Open semifinalist.
Top-seeded Angelique Kerber broke serve four times in a tidy 6-4, 6-2, triumph over Timea Babos.
It was Kerber's first WTA clay-court win of the season. The 2016 Stuttgart champion fell to Mladenovic in her Stuttgart opener last week.
The US Open champion cracked an ace down the middle to complete an 80-minute victory.
"I think it was a good match for me," Kerber said. "I mean, especially after the last match I played, I'm really happy about the way I played from the beginning. I think it was a tough match.
"The score is not maybe looking like that, but at the end, every single game was really tough. We both run a lot. I'm happy that I won it in two sets and I played like I played today."
The two-time Grand Slam champion will play either Pauline Parmentier or Katerina Siniakova for a place in the round of 16.
No. 8-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova needed just 72 minutes to dismiss Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-4, 6-3, setting up a round of 32 meeting with American Alison Riske.
It was a good day for Americans.
Continuing her strong start to the season, Lauren Davis withstood 10 double faults edging Olympic gold-medal champion Monica Puig, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3), in two hours, 48-minutes.
The 35th-ranked Davis, who raised her record to 17-7 on the season, will face Stuttgart finalist Kristina Mladenovic next. The 14th-seeded Frenchwoman was even with Ana Konjuh, 5-7, 6-3, when the Croatian retired after 79 minutes of play.
The 17th-ranked Mladenovic is 2-0 lifetime against Davis, including a 6-3, 6-3, win in Indian Wells in March.
CiCi Bellis broke serve six times in a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, win over Daria Gavrilova.
The 18-year-old Bellis, who is using her full first name, Catherine, will play either Romanian wild card Sorana Cirstea or Rabat champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who is riding a 10-match WTA win streak.
Donna Vekic swept Yulia Putintseva, 6-3, 6-4, and will play Misaki Doi, who toppled ninth-seeded Madison Keys.