Sharapova blasts way to first-round win
Defeats young Brit 6-0, 6-0 as first grand slam of tennis season begins
Maria Sharapova has the second-best record among active players in first-round matches at the majors, and she demonstrated why that’s the case with a ruthless 6-0, 6-0 win over Harriet Dart at the Australian Open.
The 2008 Australian Open champion got play started on Rod Laver Arena on Monday and needed only 63 minutes to advance.
In her 15th trip to Melbourne Park and her 55th grand slam tournament, Sharapova is aware of the toll that the sun and long early matches can take on a player’s title ambitions, so she gets straight to business.
Dart, 22, playing in the main draw of a major for only the second time after getting a wild card last year at Wimbledon, only got a look at one break point in the match — when Sharapova served a double-fault in the second set. The Brit got seven of her 29 points from Sharapova’s double-faults.
That was the only real blemish in Sharapova’s stats: She hit 20 winners and won five of her five points at the net.
Sharapova said she was still feeling pain in her right shoulder despite sitting out the end of last season after the U.S. Open.
Asked if she felt sorry for her young, beaten rival, Sharapova, who lost in the first round at Wimbledon last year, said: “There’s no time for that when you’re playing the first round of a grand slam.”
Among those who’ve played at least 10 majors, only 23-time major winner Serena Williams (.986) started the tournament with a better ratio.
Up next for Sharapova is Rebecca Peterson, who beat Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-1.
Among the other seeded players advancing were No. 11 Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-4, No.19 Caroline Garcia, No. 29 Donna Vekic and No. 31 Petra Martic.
Sharapova was one of five Australian Open titlists to play on Rod Laver Arena on Day 1. Rafael Nadal, who won his only Australian title in 2009, was set to play James Duckworth, followed by 2016 winner Angelique Kerber against Polona Hercog.
Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki was scheduled to play Alison Van Uytvvanck to start the night session, followed by six-time Australian champion Roger Federer’s match against Denis Istomin. BRONZE FOR MURRAY: Wimbledon plans to pay tribute to retiring former champion Andy Murray with a statue at its home, the tournament’s chief executive said Sunday.
“We always felt that when Andy retired that would be the appropriate time to recognize his extraordinary career,” Wimbledon chief executive Richard Lewis said in an interview with BBC Radio. “I’m sure something like that will be done.”
A tearful Murray said last week he plans to retire because of a hip injury that’s kept him sidelined for most of the past 18 months. He said that if possible, he would like to make Wimbledon, which takes place in early July, his last tournament. Murray twice won Wimbledon and he captured one of his two Olympic titles at the southwest London venue in 2012. The Scot also won the U.S. Open in 2012, reached the final of the French and Australian Opens, and led Britain to Davis Cup triumph in 2015.
Other great British players honoured with sculptures at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club include Fred Perry and Virginia Wade.