Well, the 5-time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova is through to the second round of the 2018 Australian Open after seeing off Germany’s Tatjana Maria in straight sets. Sharapova steps on the courts of the Melbourne Park after two years and looks forward to cherishing every moment. Sharapova received a warm gesture on the Margaret Court Arena, a popular personality in Melbourne and the Australians whooped “Let’s go, Masha, let’s go”.
The 5-time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova is through to the second round of the 2018 Australian Open
The 30-year-old Russian opens the set and holds her serve to love. The 2008 Aussie Open champ, gains two break points early in the opening sets breaks Maria’s serve and seizes the game 2-0. Soon, the World Number 47 German, retaliates for her break of serve and takes on the game 2-1 on Sharapova’s serve. The increasing decibels of Sharapova’s grunts were proportional to the intensity with which she was slamming the tennis ball. Sharapova was exhibiting some powerful groundstrokes and ultimately made it strenuous for Maria to acquire few games in the first set. Few mistakes from Maria’s end and forehand winners and aces from the Russian gave Sharapova a 5-1 lead in the first set. Sharapova double-faulted for the first time in the match, but produced a composed tennis and served out to take the first set.
The German tennis star displayed dominance early in the second set. She was holding her serves initially and she breaks Sharapova serve at 1-3 and rises a hope to remain in the match. But nevertheless, the Russian tennis ace avenged immediately for her break of serve and levelled to the set score to 3-3. Sharapova was moving all over the tennis court and refusing to give away points. Maria was giving best on the court, but however, the 30-year-old was prevailing the match. As Sharapova serves for the place in the second round of the Australian Open at 5-4 in the second set, her powerful ground-strokes compel Maria to head towards home. The six feet tall Russian aces on her first match point and wraps up her opening round victory 6-1, 6-4.
“I’ve got shivers,” as the 30-year-old, said in the post-match interview. “It means a lot to me. I cherish these moments. I love it. There’s so much more I play for than just myself, so many fans who come out from all over the world and watch in the middle of the night.”
Sharapova will take on Anastasija Sevastova from Lativa in the round of 64, Sharapova lost to Sevastova in the fourth round of the US Open in September.
Tags: Australian Open, Grand Slam, Maria Sharapova, Melbourne Park
