Sharapova wows US Open crowd in first major match since doping ban – BEATS no.2 Halep

Five-time major champion Maria Sharapova made an assured return to New York’s Flushing Meadows Monday night with a 6-4, X-X win over World No. 2 Simona Halep in her first competition in 15 months. ORWorld No. 2 Simona Halep denied five-time major champion Maria Sharapova a fairytale return to New York’s Flushing Meadows Monday night with a 6-4, X-X, win over the former US Open winner.

The Russian produced a dominant display which often combined agility with sheer power and athleticism, overwhelming the Romanian in three sets, taking the final one despite Halep’s best efforts to fight back.

The 30-year-old Sharapova’s mental game was on point during the thrilling match as she stretched, screamed and powered her way to what was ultimately her competition to lose.

In what was one of the most thrilling first-round matches in recent US Open history, the Russian continued her winning streak over her opponent — she’s never lost to Halep in a half-dozen previous head-to-heads.

Halep, overpowered and outplayed for much of the two-hour, 43-minute match, refused to give up and clawed back sets beginning at 4-2 down in the second set, when she convincingly broke Sharapova’s serve.

Halep dug deep in the second set to win five straight games in a row, but it was not to be and Sharapova’s closed out the match with a tense third set in front of a strongly pro-Sharapova crowd.

Fatigue was setting in as Sharapova held her nerve in the final set, feeding off the crowd’s vocal encouragement of the Russian during her return to the Arthur Ashe Stadium…

Source: Sharapova wows US Open crowd in first major match since doping ban – CNN