Sharapova swept aside as Muguruza reaches semi-finals

MARIA SHARAPOVA’S return to the French Open came to an abrupt halt at the hands of Garbine Muguruza.

The Russian, back on the Paris clay having missed the last two tournaments due to a doping ban, was swept aside 6-2 6-1 by the Spanish third seed.

If Sharapova were to write another autobiography this tame quarter-final defeat is unlikely to feature too prominently.

It was her book Unstoppable, published last year, which had dominated the build-up to her scheduled fourth-round meeting with Serena Williams, until the American pulled out injured.

Williams had branded the book “hearsay” and expressed her surprise at just how much she featured in its pages.

But Sharapova hit back, saying: “I think it would be strange for me not to include someone that I have competed against for so many years

“When you’re writing an autobiography, I don’t think there is any reason to write anything that’s not true.”

It was probably the best return Sharapova managed all day.

Muguruza had raced into a 4-0 first-set lead, punishing the former world No 1’s second serve.

She broke again at the start of the second set, and although this time Sharapova hit straight back Muguruza bulldozed her way through the rest of the set to secure her place in the semi-finals.

“I knew it was going to be an intense match, because I hadn’t played her for a long time,” said Muguruza. “I wasn’t thinking so much about the result, but I just was thinking about not dropping my level, not giving her a single point, and I guess that helped my performance.”

Muguruza will face world No 1 Simona Halep, who got the better of Angelique Kerber 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 6-2, in the semi-final.

Rafael Nadal’s grip on the French Open title was in danger of being loosened by the unlikely figure of Diego Schwartzman.

The man who has lost just twice in 85 matches at Roland Garros was staring down the barrel of a shock defeat when the rain saved him.

At one point Nadal, the reigning champion and 10 times winner, found himself a set and a break down to 5ft 7in Argentinian Schwartzman.

However, when the players came back on after a delay of almost an hour Nadal immediately broke back to level the second set.

A hold and a break later he was serving to level the match, but at 5-3 and 30-15 the heavens opened again.