Maria Sharapova into Shenzhen quarters after ‘dominant’ teenager quits

Michael Graham 02 Jan 2019 1:05 PM

Maria Sharapova moved into the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open but only after her “dominant” teenage opponent retired injured.

The Russian fifth seed was well short of her best against 17-year-old Chinese prodigy Wang Xinyu, who won two Grand Slam doubles titles last year.

Wang won the first set on a tiebreak before cramping up in the second and conceding the match.

Sharapova, though, was full of praise for her opponent.

“Obviously, it’s a tough situation,” Sharapova told reporters.

“You played unbelievable”@MariaSharapova has a great moment with Wang Xinyu after the wildcard is forced to retire at 6-7(4), 5-2. #ShenzhenOpen pic.twitter.com/3RyfnG7TgK

— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2019

“It’s not the way either of us wants to finish the match, win or lose.

I thought [Wang] was absolutely the dominant player in this match, and had all the opportunities to win it, even though I felt like I was finding my stride and getting a little bit closer to the line and being more aggressive.”

“She has all the tools to play well, and I think she showcased that, and it’s obviously a very unfortunate way to end the match.

“I said [to her] that being healthy is the most important thing, but if she continues to play the way that she did today, I think she has all the right tools to be a champion.”

Sharapova will now face either Aryna Sabalenka or fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last eight.