Sharapova grit sparkles through tough opener

MARIA Sharapova proved she is a serious contender for the US Open crown after outlasting second seed Simona Halep 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 yesterday to get the year’s final grand slam off to an electrifying start.

Still shaking off the rust from a 15month doping ban and a string of injuries, the 30-year-old Russian wildcard needed all her skill, determination and two hours and 44 minutes to snatch victory in front of a packed Arthur Ashe stadium.

The victory becomes the highlight of what has been a torturous comeback for the former world No. 1, who returned to tennis in April after being banned for testing positive for metabolic modulator meldonium at last year’s Australian Open.

Her progress has been slowed by a thigh injury that forced her out of the Italian Open in May and more recently left arm issues that took her out of the second round at Stanford earlier this month.

However, there was no hint of distress against an in-form Halep as she improved her record to 7-0 against the feisty Romanian in an opening-round clash played with the intensity more befitting of a final.

“You sometimes wonder why you put in all the work and this is exactly why,” Sharapova said after playing in her first grand slam match in nearly two years.

“No matter my record against her it’s always been tough, no matter what tournament, no matter where we played, I knew I had to work for it.”

Sharapova provided a splash of glitz and glamour to the tournament strolling on to the floodlit court in a jet black tennis dress that sparkled with Swarovski crystals. “Behind all these crystals and little black dresses this girl has a lot of grit and she’s not going anywhere,” Sharapova said.