Sharapova makes light work of Pliskova

  Sharapova makes light work of Pliskova



PHOTO: AFP



PARIS:Maria Sharapova crushed sixth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1 in the French Open third round on Saturday.

The five-time Grand Slam champion produced one of her best performances since returning from a doping ban, cruising to a totally one-sided win in her first match on Court Philippe Chatrier for three years.

The Russian, winner in Paris in 2012 and 2014, is seeded at a major for the first time since testing positive for meldonium two years ago.

A fired-up Sharapova powered 18 winners past her fellow former world number one Pliskova, with the Czech never threatening any resistance in a match which lasted just 59 minutes



Former champion Garbine Muguruza reached the French Open last-16 on Saturday with a comfortable 6-0, 6-2 win over Australia’s Sam Stosur as Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova stood one win away from renewing their longtime rivalry.

Spanish third seed Muguruza, the 2016 winner in Paris and the reigning Wimbledon champion, fired 15 winners past Stosur, the 34-year-old 2010 runner-up and former US Open champion.

After wrapping up the first set in just 25 minutes, Stosur only got on the board in the third game of the second.


“I knew this would be very tough against a former US Open winner and a player who has made the final here,” said 24-year-old Muguruza. “If I didn’t play my best tennis, I realised that it would be very hard. Coming back here to Court Philippe Chatrier where I won two years ago always brings special feelings inside me.”

The Spaniard goes on to face Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine who knocked out Slovakian 19th seed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-4.


Tsurenko has now reached the last-16 in Paris for the first time, equalling her best run at a Slam at the 2016 US Open.

Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit knocked Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova out of the French Open on Saturday, winning 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) to reach the fourth round for the first time.


The 22-year-old Kontaveit, seeded 25 in Paris, will face either Italian Camila Giorgi or US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the last 16 as she looks to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova made 57 unforced errors and served 10 double faults in an erratic display that saw her 13-match winning streak come to an end.

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