Sharapova through to last eight in Stuttgart
Maria Sharapova picked up a second win in as many days on her comeback from a 15-month doping ban on Thursday, beating fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova at the Stuttgart WTA tournament.
The 30-year-old five-time Grand Slam winner dominated Makarova, ranked 43 in the world, for a 7-5, 6-1 win in just one hour, 20 minutes, in the secondround tie.
“I’m happy. I executed my game plan and I was solid,” said Sharapova, whose comeback is deeply controversial and has been criticised by many.
On Friday she will face Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit for a place in the semifinals.
There was none of the rust or nerves Sharapova showed in beating Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-3 in Wednesday’s first round — the first day she was eligible to play after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. This was a far more polished, confident display from Sharapova, who hit nine aces and 29 winners.
But there is still work to do before facing Kontaveit as Sharapova also had seven double faults and made 19 unforced errors. “Practice and playing are so different and you can only prepare the best you can, so it’s good to finally play,” said the former No 1, in Stuttgart on a wildcard.
“The reaction and anticipation you need are so hard to replicate in training and these are the things I need,” she added.
Makarova, who has now lost all of her seven matches against Sharapova, put up a fight as the first set followed serve, but was broken in the final game.
Sharapova pumped her fist and let out a scream as she converted her second set point.
It was all Sharapova in the second set as she won six straight games after Makarova won the first on her serve.
BOUCHARD URGES LIFE BAN FOR SHARAPOVA
Eugenie Bouchard attacked Maria Sharapova as a “cheater” over her return from a drugs ban and suggested the Russian should be kicked out of tennis for life.
Bouchard said the Women’s Tennis Association was sending the wrong message in allowing the five-time Grand Slam-winner to come back from her 15-month suspension.
“I don’t think that’s right. She’s a cheater and so to me, I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again,” Canada’s Bouchard, the world number 59, told TRT World in Istanbul.
“It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true. So I just think the WTA sends the wrong message to young kids: you know, cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms.
“So I don’t think that’s right. She’s not someone I can say I look up to any more because it’s definitely ruined it for me a little bit,” Bouchard further added.
I AM WAY ABOVE THEM, SAYS UNDERFIRE MARIA
Maria Sharapova hit back at Eugenie Bouchard’s “cheater” claims on Thursday, telling the Canadian that she is “way above” getting into a slanging match over her controversial comeback from a doping ban.
Bouchard, long seen as the Russian’s heir in the sport’s marketability stakes, had attacked Sharapova over her return from a 15-month suspension and suggested the former world number one should be kicked out of tennis for life.
But after reaching the Stuttgart quarter-finals on Thursday, Sharapova attempted to put Bouchard in her place. “I don’t have anything to say -- I am way above that,” she told reporters when asked to respond to Bouchard’s comments.
Many of the Russian’s rivals claim she is being given an unfair advantage by being handed wild cards to play at the Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome tournaments. She will learn on May 16 whether she will be given a wild card to play at the French Open, where she has twice been champion, which starts May 22.
KUNG WINS SECOND ROMANDIE STAGE
Stefan Kung battled wintery con ditions to claim Thursday’s shortened second stage of the Tour de Romandie as Italian Fabio Felline remained in the lead. BMC rider Kung beat Ukrainian Andrey Grivko in a sprint finish to win stage two of the race for the second time in three years.