Maria Sharapova continues improvement ahead of US Open
Maria Sharapova has recorded her first win over a player ranked inside the top-40 for 2010, defeating Zheng Jie in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford.
Sharapova’s 6-4, 7-5 victory over the world No. 23, and Australian Open semi-finalist, at the WTA Premier tournament is a further indication the former world No. 1 is approaching the kind of form which took her to the top of the women’s game before a shoulder injury began to take its toll in 2008.
In October that year, the glamorous Russian underwent shoulder surgery, returning to the WTA Tour in May 2009 with a modified serve and without the same level of success that had seemed to come so naturally in the early stages of her career (Sharapova was just 17 when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon).
This year, an elbow injury did no favours to Sharapova’s campaign during the spring, and the two tournaments she has won this season said more about the quality (or comparative lack thereof) of her opponents, rather than the triple Grand Slam champion’s own form.
By the time Wimbledon rolled around, however, the 23-year-old was starting to show signs of improvement as she provided world No. 1 Serena Williams with her sternest test of the tournament, before ultimately losing 7-6(9), 6-4 in their fourth round match.
While Sharapova will need to follow up her victory against Zheng – who had defeated Sharapova in their previous match at Indian Wells earlier this year – with some wins against players ranked inside the top-20, Stanford can perhaps already be regarded as another step in the right direction for the world No. 15.
If the second round goes to plan for Sharapova against 43rd ranked Olga Govortsova, and for second seed Elena Dementieva against the evergreen Kimiko Date Krumm, she’ll be presented with the opportunity to make an even bigger statement about her form. And if Sharapova does win that potential clash there are plenty who would be well served to sit up and take notice ahead of the US Open.
In other results at Stanford, defending champion Marion Bartoli is through to the second round after a straight sets victory over the USA’s Ashley Harkleroad, and will now face wildcard Ana Ivanovic in the second round, while qualifier Christina McHale has lined up a second-round clash with top seed Sam Stosur.
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