Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
US Open wildcard for Maria
MARIA Sharapova has been handed a wildcard into the main draw at the US Open.
The Russian f ormer world No 1 returned from a doping ban in April but has struggled with injury, which ruled her out of trying to qualify for Wimbledon.
While both the French Open and the All England Club had opted not to hand Sharapova a wild card for their 2017 championships, the United States Tennis Association confirmed she would be given an i nvitation t o Flushing Meadows.
The 30-year-old won the US Open in 2006 and last played there in 2014 but will be unseeded for this year’s event in New York.
Sharapova, who is 148 in the latest world rankings, sat out t he Rogers Cup in Toronto and will also be will be absent in Cincinnati this week as she focuses on being fully fit for the final Grand Slam of 2017, with the US Open set to start on August 28.
JOHANNA Konta i s through to the third round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati after seeing off Kiki Bertens.
The seventh seed advanced in straight sets, 6-3 6-3, and l ooked i n impressive form with both her forehand and backhand as she forced 10 break points, converting four of them.
Dutch ace Bertens could only break Konta once in reply.
Konta will now await the winner of the secondround tie between Frenchwoman Alize Cornet and 11th seed Dominika Cibulkova.