Maria Sharapova happy to ‘get back to business’ as she sets up Angelique Kerber clash

It was a winning return to action for Maria Sharapova as she kicked off her grass-court season with a solid victory over Viktoria Kuzmova.
The five-time Grand Slam winner had been out of action since injuring her shoulder at the St Petersburg Open at the end of January.
However, she finally made her comeback on Tuesday and, after a sluggish start, she eventually ran away with things as she won 7-6 (10-8), 6-0.
.@MariaSharapova returns to the 🌱 and clinches the match 7-6(8), 6-0 over Kuzmova 👏#MallorcaOpen pic.twitter.com/vxh1PmHBoc
— WTA (@WTA) June 18, 2019
“It’s always nice to get a victory,” the Russian said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out there, so it was good to put down a few things I’ve worked on, put the arms into action. There’s still a lot to work on and improve, but I had to start somewhere.”
She added: “I was just really looking forward to coming back and playing a match. You’ve done so much work, and a lot of it is a grind.
“So much of your focus is on the injury and trying to make it better, so it was nice to let that go and get back to business, which I’ve done since I was very young. It was nice to have that feeling back.”
She will face top seed Angelique Kerber for a place in the quarter-final after the three-time Grand Slam winner beat Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
“For a long time I wasn’t really playing matches, and of course playing matches is different from practice sessions,” Kerber said. “And especially now playing on grass again. I practiced only for three days on grass.
“So at the end, it was feeling still not so natural, but it’s the first match. I was feeling so far good on grass and I’m looking forward to the grass season.”
Second seed Anastasija Sevastova is also safely through as the Latvian beat Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) while fifth seed Amanda Anisimova was a 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3 winner over Tereza Martincova.
Sixth seed Caroline Garcia continued her good form as she followed up her Nature Valley Open title win with a first-round victory over former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, coming back from a poor start to win 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Follow us on Twitter @T365Official and like our Facebook page.
More from Tennis365:
-
-
The Andy Murray odyssey and what it means for his chances of making Wimbledon
-
Juan Martin del Potro lifts lid on his injury hell and backs Andy Murray’s return
-
Wimbledon 2019: Rejuvenated Johanna Konta to lead the British charge in the women’s singles
-
Padel set to explode in the UK after endorsements from the likes of Jurgen Klopp and John Terry
-
FAMOUS FIVE: Tennis comebacks Andy Murray will be hoping to emulate
-
Latest
-
WTA Tour
Heather Watson ends her quarter-final drought with win in Thailand – ‘It was just survival of the fittest’
Heather Watson will now face Chinese seventh seed Xinyu Wang.
-
Tennis News
Toni Nadal shares thoughts on fans’ hostility toward Novak Djokovic as well as Rafael Nadal’s future
Toni Nadal on why Novak Djokovic has so many detractors.
-
Tennis News
Stunning LTA numbers confirm tennis participation is booming in Britain
New figures have revealed that there has been a 47 per-cent increase in tennis participation in clubs and parks across Britain.
-
WTA Tour
Aryna Sabalenka’s 2023 tennis schedule: Where is she competing next and her season so far…
A look at Aryna Sabalenka’s possible tournaments for the 2023 season.
-
News
Serena Williams welcomes Tom Brady to ‘retirement world again’ as she opens up about her final match ‘regret’
“Sad to see you go,” Serena Williams told Tom Brady.
-
Tennis News
Elina Svitolina urges IOC to ‘stick to banning Russian and Belarusian athletes’ for Paris 2024 Olympics
Elina Svitolina wants a united front when it comes to sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus.
-
Tennis News
Marion Bartoli latest to criticise Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov – ‘I just can’t take that any more’
Marion Bartoli basing her opinion on Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov on incidents she witnessed herself.
-
Australian Open
Australian Open viewing figures need context amid Novak Djokovic snipes
TV viewing figures for Australian Open may appear to be disappointing, yet raw figures only reveal part of the story.
-
Tennis News
Nick Kyrgios on crutches as his manager gives fitness update
Everyone is “really, really pleased” with Nick Kyrgios’ recovery.
-
WTA Tour
Iga Swiatek’s 2023 tennis schedule: Where is she competing next and her season so far…
A look at Iga Swiatek’s possible tournaments for the 2023 season.