SHARAPOVA GOES DOWN TO BOUCHARD IN BITTER CONTEST AT MADRID OPEN
MADRID: Eugenie Bouchard beat Maria Sharapova for the first time in her career soon after calling the former world No 1 a “cheater” to set up a meeting with Angelique Kerber, while Anastasija Sevastova shocked Karolina Pliskova at the Madrid Open.
Eugenie Bouchard recently stated that she believes Maria Sharapova’s tennis career should have been over when she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open last year.
CANDID INTERVIEW
All eyes were on the Spanish capital when the two met less than a fortnight after that candid interview with the 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, who raised her game to defeat the former world number one 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in a secondround thriller. Top seed Kerber earlier made hard work of seeing off Katerina Siniakova 6-2 1-6 7-5 to ensure she will return to the top of the rankings in the absence of the pregnant Serena Williams, but second seed Pliskova went down 6-3 6-3 to the 22-ranked Latvian Sevastova.
FIRED-UP BOUCHARD
Bouchard let her feelings be known in no uncertain terms when asked about Sharapova’s return to the circuit last month.
And the Canadian made another huge on-court statement on Monday, showing great spirit and plenty of class to topple the five-time grand slam champion. Sharapova had won their previous four meetings, but Bouchard looked to be back to something like her best as she showed flashed of brilliance to win a gripping showdown.