Sharapova faces feisty battle with fierce critic

It could be the mother of all cat fights: Maria Sharapova, the former world No 1 trying to claw her way back up the mountain after a 15-month drugs ban, against Eugene Bouchard, the ice-maiden from Canada who branded her former idol as a “cheat” and announced that the Russian should be banned for life.

The two will meet in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open after Sharapova survived three sets against Mirjana Lucicbaroni – a woman she described as a “human sling-shot” because she hit the ball so hard – before winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 yesterday.

Bouchard was looking forward to facing Sharapova, who failed a drugs test for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open and only returned to the tour 13 days ago.

“I think I’ll have a bit more motivation,” she said. “But it’s very important, once I step on the court, no matter who is on the other side, to focus on the tennis. Or else I think it’s easy to lose concentration.”

Sharapova refused to be dragged into a needle match to build up the match – she is too experienced for that – but her cool tone and business-like manner suggested she will be taking no prisoners.

“I’ve been in the public eye since I was a very young girl,” she said calmly. “I’ve heard a lot of things. If everything affects you on and off the court, I think that would be a really challenging position to be in. My tennis speaks for itself and that’s what I focus on.”