By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, January 15, 2018
Maria Sharapova wore a stoic expression striding out onto Rod Laver Arena as the Taylor Swift hit “Look What You Made Me Do” blared over the sound system.
Showing her familiar closing power, Sharapova screamed through five of the final six games sweeping Tatjana Maria, 6-1, 6-4, in a successful Australian Open return.
More: Bautista Agut, Raonic Upset on Day 2
Playing the Melbourne major for the first time since 2016 when she failed a doping test following her quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams, Sharapova said she “got shivers; it means a lot to me” in her Australian Open comeback.
The 2008 Australian Open champion showed some rust, but few nerves bossing baseline rallies with ruthless intent.
Sharapova smacked her crunching groundstrokes with conviction overpowering the 47th-ranked German in 78 minutes. Sharapova tripled Maria’s winner output (22 to 7) and though she did not break the 100 mph mark on any serve, Sharapova dropped just seven points on her first serve.
“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been back here,” Sharapova said. “So with every point obviously I wanted to enjoy the moment. But it was really meaningful for me to be out here today. Yeah, I was just happy to get it done in two sets today.”
The former world No. 1 and 2016 champ Angelique Kerber, who also won her opener, are the only two former champions in the women’s field.
Barging out to a 2-0 lead on the strength of a quick break, Sharapova got a bit sloppy.
Netting a forehand, she wailed another forehand well wide giving back the break in the third game.
The problem for Maria was she lacked the pace or depth to prevent Sharapova from prowling the baseline and hammer her groundstrokes with menacing intent. A pair of sweeping forehand swing volleys helped the 30-year-old Russian score her second straight break for 3-1.
Overpowered, Maria tried mixing in the drop shot, off-pace digs and slices off both wings. It was all fodder for Sharapova’s disruptive flat drives.
When a skittish Maria spit up successive double faults, Sharapova had her third break and a 5-1 lead.
Running with her back to net, Sharapova spun and slashed a backhand pass for a second set point. Blasting a forehand down the line, Sharapova snatched an imposing opening set in 32 minutes.
As Sharapova’s errors escalated at the start of the second set Maria, who hit just one winner in the opening set began to turn her shoulders into her shots. She broke for 3-1 only to see Sharapova break right back.
That sparked a run that saw the Russian roar through five of the final six games.
Sharapova slid an ace down the middle raising her Grand Slam first-round record to 48-3 and closing her comeback conquest with a smile.
Key Stat
Pressuring her opponent's serve from the opening game, Sharapova converted five of seven break points.
Talking Point
"Just like everyone in the draw here we know it’s only gonna get tougher with every match you play. I only face tougher opponents moving forward. I have a tough one in the next round if she wins who I’ve had a lot of trouble against in the last few months so it’s a challenge, but that’s why this is called a Grand Slam and that’s why it’s so meaningful when you’re the last one holding the trophy.”—Maria Sharapova.
Turning Point
Down a break at 1-3 in the second set, Sharapova blasted out a break back then took complete command.
What’s Next?
Facing a formidable draw, Sharapova will play either 14th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova, who knocked the five-time Grand Slam champion out of the US Open last summer, or American left-hander Varvara Lepchenko in round two.