SHOWDOWN SET
SERENA, SHARAPOVA WILL MEET IN FRENCH OPEN QUARTERFINALS
PARIS — If the upcoming French Open showdown between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams provides any of the sort of animus and backand-forth they manage to stir up away from the court, look out.
During a news conference after both won Saturday to set up the longtime rivals’ fourthround matchup at Roland Garros, Williams criticized Sharapova’s autobiography as “hearsay” and twice brought up the Russian star’s 15-month doping ban.
Producing by far the best performance in her return to Grand Slam tennis — 16 months after her last major tournament and nine months after having a baby — Williams played cleanly and powerfully in a 6-3, 6-4 tour de force against 11th-seeded Julia Goerges that lasted a mere 75 minutes and lacked much in the way of theatrics.
“There is still a ways to go, but it’s moving in the right direction,” said Williams, who made only three unforced errors in the first set and just 12 in all. “And I think that as long as it’s moving in the right direction, I know I will get there.”
Sharapova advanced with a similarly lopsided win, 6-2, 6-1 against 2016 U.S. Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova.
Now comes the drama: Williams vs. Sharapova on Monday with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.
They have verbally clashed in the past, such as a 2013 public spat about their private lives.
Williams, 36, owns 23 major singles titles. Sharapova, 31, has won five. Williams has won the French Open three times. Sharapova has won twice in Paris. They are the only active women with a career Grand Slam and two of only six to ever accomplish that. Both have been ranked No. 1.
But the head-to-head history is overwhelmingly in Williams’ favor: She has won 19 of 21 meetings, including 18 in a row.
“Quite frankly, she’s probably a favorite in this match, for sure,” Williams said with a chuckle. “She’s been playing … for over a year now. I just started. So I’m just really trying to get my bearings and trying to feel out where I am and see where I can go.”
Said Sharapova: “Anytime you play against Serena, you know what you’re up against. You know the challenge that is upon you. Despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best players.”
The last time Sharapova beat Williams was in 2004. The last time they played was in the 2016 Australian Open quarterfinals, Sharapova’s final appearance before her 15-month drug suspension.
“Well, it’s been a while,” Sharapova said, “and I think a lot has happened in our lives for the both of us, in very different ways.”
Williams was asked about Sharapova’s book, which was published last year. It contains quite a bit of material about the American star, including a reference to Williams crying in the locker room after losing to Sharapova in the Wimbledon final 14 years ago.
“As a fan, I wanted to read the book, and I was really excited for it to come out and I was really happy for her. And then the book was a lot about me. I was surprised about that, to be honest,” Williams said. “I was, like, ‘Oh, OK, I didn’t expect to be reading a book about me — that wasn’t necessarily true.’”
Insisting she doesn’t “have any negative feelings” toward Sharapova, Williams said “the success of one female should be the inspiration to another.” Seconds later, Williams made reference to Sharapova’s “incident of drugs.”
There were plenty of other results involving top names Saturday at the French Open. Other women moving into the fourth round included 2016 tournament champion Garbine Muguruza, two-time runner-up Simona Halep, two-time major title winner Angelique Kerber and 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens. Men’s winners included 10-time champion Rafael Nadal, No. 3 Marin Cilic, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro, No. 6 Kevin Anderson and No. 9 John Isner.
The story of the tournament’s seventh day, though, was what everyone can look forward to on its ninth day: Williams versus Sharapova.
“... Despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best players.” – MARIA SHARAPOVA
“... I’m just really trying to get my bearings and trying to feel out where I am and see where I can go.” – SERENA WILLIAMS