Sharapova gets her act together

– Maria Sharapova’s clay-court revival is gathering pace after the Russian eased past Romanian big-hitter Irina-Camelia Begu at the Madrid Open yesterday.

Sharapova arrived in Spain on the back of four consecutive defeats but two wins, the latest a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Begu, have sent the 31-year-old into the last-16. France’s Kristina Mladenovic will now await Sharapova, who is showing signs of rhythm ahead of the French Open later this month. – AFP

Madrid