Maria Sharapova melts down, gets emotional win at return to U.S. Open
Maria Sharapova was experiencing a mini meltdown in her first Grand Slam action since the drug suspension, an emotional rollercoaster of a match that included loud grunts and tense moments from both sides.
Then, Sharapova ran off the court. She literally left after collapsing in the second set.
Nearly 10 minutes later, the Russian returned through the tunnel and the tennis momentum completely shifted. If that was a bathroom break, Sharapova obviously needed the relief. If that was a show of gamesmanship - whether to recalibrate herself or throw off the opponent - it worked.
She waited over two years for another grand slam chance after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug, so what's another 10 minutes?
See Sharapova's emotional reaction to her big return:
Sharapova went from dropping five straight games in the second set Monday to winning straight in the decisive third, lifting the 30-year-old to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, first-round victory over second-seeded Simona Halep.
When it was over, she collapsed to the ground and cried while waving to the crowd - not the typical reaction of a five-time Grand Slam champion following a first-round victory.
"I just thought this was another day, another opportunity, but this was so much more," said Sharapova, who simply overpowered her much smaller opponent.
The tournament's female headliner needed a wild card invitation to get into the US Open, and then drew Halep - a two-time Grand Slam finalist - in the first round.
That turned into a bigger problem for Halep, who, after Monday, is 0-7 in her career against Sharapova. Once the force in women's tennis with a marketing potential as strong as her ground strokes, Sharapova hasn't won the US Open in 11 years. She's now 30, past her prime but certainly capable of a long run through the bracket.
She faces 66th-seeded Timea Babos in the second round.
"Behind this sparkly black dress, this girl has grit," Sharapova said.
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Sharapova missed the last six Grand Slam tournaments after testing positive for meldonium, which was had just been banned by WADA (Sharapova insisted she took the drug for years because of a magnesium deficiency and family history of diabetes). Her suspension was reduced from two years to 15 months, but Monday signified her first Grand Slam since January of 2016.
Sharapova didn't get much of a reaction from a crowd that included Alex Baldwin and Henrik Lundqvist, but they seemed to get behind the Russian as the match developed. Political commentator Megyn Kelly certainly elicited more boos when shown on the Jumbotron.
Sharapova had an issue with her racket in the second set and had it re-gripped with tape by her coach in the stands. She went with another racket and perhaps that served as distraction, because Sharapova started making mistakes and blew a 4-1 lead in the second set.
There's an opening in this tournament without Serena Williams, who is pregnant and expecting in September. Neither Williams nor Sharapova played in the previous two US Opens, and the champions in those tournaments (Angelique Kerber and Flavia Pennetta) are no longer ranked in the top-5.
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