MARIA RUNS OUTOF STEAM
Lack of fitness tells as Sharapova is sent packing by Latvian
The red carpet laid down for Maria Sharapova at the US Open ran out last night, when she was beaten by the relatively unheralded 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova.
Granted a wildcard and given residency on the main Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sharapova was beaten 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 by the Latvian (below), who now faces resurgent American Sloane Stephens.
For all the arguments about her treatment here, the cosy accommodation of someone coming back from a doping suspension, the 30-year-old Russian continued to provide the kind of drama and attention theseason’s final Grand Slam wanted.
This was another gripping contest, but ultimately Sharapova paid for her general lack of matchplay coming into this event and the exertion required to get through earlier rounds, which included the dismissal of second seed Simona halep. She contributed 51 unforced errors to her demise, although her strategy of going for broke and pounding down the winners that accompanied them nearly paid off. What is clear is that if starts to string together a proper run of tournaments without her body breaking down then it will not be long before she is back, or at least close to the top of women’s tennis. For now she is likely to emerge from this fortnight with a ranking almost dead on 100, which will ensure that she does not need the assistance of a wildcard to make the Australian Open in January, where she might rejoin battle with Serena Williams.
It has been a big few days for births in tennis, Williams and Novak Djokovic welcoming baby daughters into the world. The full rebirth of Sharapova’s career awaits more than five months on from her return, but she has proved that she remains a formidable opponent.
With that earsplitting shriek she is an intimidating presence, and it was much to Sevastova’s credit that she did not buckle inside what is the sport’s biggest stadium. her concentration just about survived the Russian’s long toilet break at the end of the second set and treatment for blisters in the decider.
In her and Jelena Ostapenko the tennis backwater of Latvia — ironically the birthplace of meldonium — has two very impressive players.
‘The first set was very close and she played unbelievable through the first and second set,’ said Sevastova. ‘I kept fighting and running every ball down.’
It was on this same day and at the same fourth-round stage a year ago that she had stopped Jo Konta in her tracks when the British player looked set to reach the last eight.
A 4-1 Sharapova lead in the first set became 5-5 as the Latvian neatly scurried around the court, and she was looking in the ascendancy as the Russian racked up a high count of outright winners and unforced errors. But Sharapova hit back to hold serve before breaking to 15 to bag the first set.
Sevastova rebounded impressively to take advantage of Sharapova’s error count and broke for 2-1 in the second set. She came close to extending that lead to 5-2, only for the Russian to spectacularly improvise with two lefthanded forehands in the same rally in order to retrieve the deft lobs of her opponent.
having sealed the second set, Sevastova had to wait for more than six minutes while the Russian took a comfort break. It did not disrupt the Latvian’s rhythm as she raced to a 3-0 lead, at which point Sharapova summoned the trainer on to treat a blister on her right hand.
The Latvian then lost concentration and fell back to 3-2, but impressively regathered herself to deliver the final blows.