Sharapova Cruises Into Round Two Down Under

January 14, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Maria_Sharapova_4
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Maria Sharapova may run a candy business, but last night in opening round action at the 2013 Australian Open, she went into the bagel business as she defeated Russian Olga Puchkova 6-0,6-0 (a double-bagel) to cruise into the second round of the first Grand Slam of 2013. Sharapova’s domination of the hapless Puchkova at the Rod Laver Arena completed a ‘bagel slam’, having left opponents scoreless in one match at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. Sharapova dispatched of the 107th-ranked Puchkova in just 55 minutes to stay on track for a third round clash with Venus Wiliams.

"So it was just one of those matches where I didn’t try to worry about her too much," said Sharapova. " just tried to, you know, think about what I had to do."

Sharapova saved two break points, while looking slightly rusty in the opening game, but with her opponent committing 19 unforced errors, she was able to find her groove shortly thereafter. Sharapova had pulled out of all of her warm-up tournaments after suffering pain in her neck and collarbone, but showed little discomfort as she completed the match with six aces and 18 winners. Already one of the most marketable figures in women’s tennis, Sharapova won the French Open last year to complete a career Grand Slam at the age of 25 and is looking to start 2013 on the right track.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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