Sharapova enjoys happy return on day of comebacks
● Russian makes a winning start after missing out last year due to doping ban
It wasn’t Maria Sharapova’s choice to miss the last Australian Open. That decision was taken out of her hands because of a doping ban following a failed test on her previous visit to Melbourne Park.
The five-time major champion said it was her choice to return, though, and she relished every moment of it in yesterday’s 6-1, 6-4 victory over Tatjana Maria.
“With that choice I know that I face difficulties and challenges on the court, and that I start from no ranking and that I might start on some outside courts, and I understand that and that’s part of the process,” said Sharapova, who isn’t seeded in Melbourne and was a contentious choice to represent the women’s champions last week at the official draw.
She was suspended for 15 months after testing positive for meldonium, not long after the medication was added to the banned list, when she was in Australia in 2016.
So, when Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open, Sharapova was sick in bed and watching on TV. She returned in April and, because of her slide down the rankings, needed some wild-card entries to enter tournaments. She made her return to the majors at the US Open, and finished the year ranked No 60.
“I learned what it feels like to be on the ground and seeing life from the ground, and I’m not shying away from any part of that,” said Sharapova who will next play 14th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova. “I love what I do. I’m a competitor and that’s why I continue to do it.”
There were all kinds of comebacks yesterday. Six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and 2014 winner Stan Wawrinka returned from injuries that had sidelined them since Wimbledon, top-ranked Simona Halep recovered from 5-2 down in her first set and a tumble in the second, and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber continued her amazing return to form.
Defending champion Roger Federer just picked up where he left off, beating Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in a night 0 Maria Sharapova celebrates winning her first-round match against Tatjana Maria and, inset, Roger Federer on his way to victory over Aljaz Bedene. match, his first on Rod Laver Arena since clinching a career-reviving title in Melbourne last year. The 19-time major champion has been met on court after previous wins by tennis greats Laver, John Mcenroe and Jim Courier.
This time, he got something different. Comedian Will Ferrell stepped out of the crowd and, slipping into character as Ron Burgundy, conducted the post-match interview. As usual, the 36-year-old Federer stayed classy.
Djokovic tweaked his service action while recovering from an injured right elbow, and used it to good effect in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Donald Young. Djokovic lost in the second round last year, but won five of the previous six Australian Open titles. This time, he has four-time champion Andre Agassi in his corner. “Obviously I wanted to start with the right intensity, which I have,” Djokovic said. “I played perfect tennis, like I never stopped.”
Wawrinka, who had six months out after surgery on his left knee, beat Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
Halep ended a run of backto-back first-round exits in Melbourne by beating teenage wild-card Destanee Aiava 7-6 (5), 6-1 to set up a clash with Eugenie Bouchard. Former No 1-ranked Kerber continued her resurgent run with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Anna-lena Friedsam to extend her streak to ten consecutive wins.
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza also advanced but Petra Kvitova, a two-time champion at SW19, lost 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 to Andrea Petkovic. Kvitova missed the Australian Open last year while recovering from a knife attack that could easily have derailed her career.