Maria Sharapova happily back in old routine at Open

TIL Desk Sports/ Maria Sharapova said today she was delighted to be back in the old routine after a trying 2017 as she sailed into the second round of the Australian Open. It was the Russian star’s first match a Melbourne for two years, having tested positive for performance-enhancing meldonium in Australia in 2016 and only returning from a 15- month doping ban last April.

And she sealed a 6-1, 6-4 victory in style with an ace against Germany’s Tatjana Maria in an hour and 18 minutes.”I felt like I have got a lot of things out of the way physically and emotionally and mentally last year,” said Sharapova, who only returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open, where she reached the last 16.

“(In 2017) there was a lot of firsts again for me, playing the first tournament, first Grand Slam, and just different feelings and what it would be routinely. “But it felt pretty routine today, just really happy to be back here.” On paper this should have been a close match. Sharapova, who is climbing her way back up the tennis ladder following her ban, is ranked 48th with her German opponent one place higher.