The five-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for the banned substance meldonium, but saw her initial two-year ban reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "I have to get through the matches and still have to win them and that's my job".
The longer it went on the more fluid Sharapova looked as she wrapped up her first win on her return, taking advantage of her serve which by now was in full flow as she record 11 aces in total. "I've been visualizing it and thinking about it, but I don't know". It ruined it for me a little bit.
"The thing that I have done over the past 15 months is grow as a person, and in life, and I felt that I really had to step up and do that".
Because Sharapova now is not ranked, she needed a wild card in order to play.
She was understandably rusty but brushed off a nervous start to break Vinci at the first opportunity after losing her first service game, showing ominous signs with a string of big winners.
She does not have a world ranking after her points expired during her suspension and would need to reach the final in Stuttgart to be eligible for French Open qualifying. After the end of her 15-month doping suspension Sharapova will play at the Porsche Grand Prix tennis tournament in Stuttg. Her match against Vinci opens the Evening Session on Centre Court, where the eyes of the tennis world will be on what is a controversial comeback. To know you were walking back out there was special.
EU Must Reform or Face A Frexit, Says Emmanuel Macron
Le Pen's campaign manager David Rachline described the speech as a form of tribute to the leader of the Republicains party. She linked Mr Macron to the unpopular current President, Francois Hollande, in whose cabinet he once served.
"I was waiting for this moment for a long time".
Sharapova would have to be blocking out plenty of chat in the locker room as a number of her fellow players have sounded off on her being given invitations to play in Madrid and Rome.
Next up for Maria Sharapova is a meeting with compatriot Ekaterina Makarova, when she can likely expect another capacity crowd as she remains a major draw in the women's game. "There is no reason why we should announce a wildcard before the others".
"I don't miss her on the tour at all", Dominika Cibulkova said in April 2016.
Sharapova's initial two-year ban was earlier reduced to 15 months following an appeal to the court of arbitration for sport, which concluded she had not meant to cheat.
"It does bug me, it's not just me I think there are a lot of players out there who don't think its right" Erakovic told NZME.
Comments