NEW YORK - Maria Sharapova was right where she likes to be: on the Grand Slam stage and in the spotlight.
After missing last year's U.S. Open with a shoulder injury, the 2006 champion returned to the tournament Tuesday night with an impressive 6-3, 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
Sharapova's game was as glittery as her black-and-silver dress and matching headwrap, an outfit she described as a tribute to New York's skyline.
Several hours after Dinara Safina came perilously close to becoming the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose in this major tournament's first round, Sharapova gave a much stronger performance.
The three-time Grand Slam title winner produced 29 winners - a whopping 23 more than her 98th-ranked opponent.
Maria Sharapova returns to U.S. Open with easy victory
- Number of views : 194
- Rate
- Top of the page
