Iffy Sharapova sends Halep out
SLUGGISH: 60 WINNERS BUT MANY UNFORCED ERRORS
Seventh seed Konta sent packing from US Open.
Former world No 1 Maria Sharapova made a triumphant return to Grand Slam competition on Monday after a 15-month doping ban, beating second-ranked Simona Halep 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at the US Open.
The 30-year-old Russian, who had only one hardcourt tune-up match due to a nagging forearm injury, swatted 60 winners along with 64 unforced errors.
Sharapova improved to 7-0 in her all-time rivalry with Halep, extending her mastery over the 25-year-old Romanian.
“I just thought this was another day, another opportunity, another match but this was so much more,” Sharapova said.
After the final point, Sharapova dropped to her knees in tears as a replay appeal showed what she already knew.
It was Sharapova’s first Grand Slam match since a quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams in last year’s Australian Open.
Sharapova, ranked 146th, returned in April but the French Open snubbed Sharapova for a wildcard entry and she missed Wimbledon with a thigh injury.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza advanced and British seventh seed Johanna Konta crashed out.
Spanish third seed Muguruza defeated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-0, 6-3. Muguruza can reach the US Open third round for the first time today by defeating China’s Duan Ying-Ying.
Serbia’s 78th-ranked Aleksandra Krunic upset Australian-born Konta 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, removing the only other top-10 player from Sharapova’s draw quarter.
German fourth seed Alexander Zverev, the top-ranked player in his half of the draw, saved two set points in the first tie-break and downed stubborn Barbados qualifier and Grand Slam debutant Darian King 7-6 (11/9), 7-5, 6-4.
Croatian fifth seed Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion and last month’s Wimbledon runner-up, ousted 105th-ranked American Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. –