Bouchard beats fallen idol Sharapova in Madrid

Image
AFP Madrid
Last Updated : May 09 2017 | 10:07 AM IST
Eugenie Bouchard matched her fighting talk with some thrilling tennis to shock Maria Sharapova 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round of the Madrid Open.
Bouchard called Sharapova "a cheater" last week and was also critical of the Russian's welcome back to the sport after a 15-month doping ban with a series of wildcards for big events.
The world number 60 admitted she was extra motivated to face her former idol and it showed as she showed signs of the form she has lost over the past few years since reaching the Wimbledon final in 2014 in a bruising near three-hour contest.
Bouchard battled back from 4-2 down to claim a topsy- turvy first set and she edged a marathon 11th game before serving it out for just her second set in five meetings with Sharapova.
However, adversity brought out the best in the five-time Grand Slam champion as Sharapova found the precision to match her power in the second set, reeling off four straight game from 2-2 to level at one set all.
Both players struggled to hold serve in the deciding set as a total of 14 break points were squandered.
However, Bouchard held her nerve when serving for the match at 5-4 as she saw off two break points and an unfortunate let cord on her first match point.
The Canadian jumped for joy after delivering the final blow before the two exchanged a very frosty handshake at the net.
Bouchard will face top seed Angelique Kerber, who fought back from 5-3 down in the deciding set to overcome Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 earlier on Monday, in the third round.
Kerber has had an inconsistent season and her fragile form was on show in the course of the first two sets.
The German romped through the opening set in 27 minutes but then had to save six break points for her only game in the second.
Siniakova served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set, but Kerber should impressive fight to win the last four games.
World number three Karolina Pliskova was dumped out 6-3, 6-3 by Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.
In the men's Madrid Masters there were comfortable wins for Thomas Berdych, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kygios.
However, 15th seed Gael Monfils bowed out in a wild match against French compatriot Gilles Simon 0-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/0).
Andy Murray begins his quest for a third title in Madrid on Wednesday when he faces Romanian Marius Copil.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 09 2017 | 10:07 AM IST

Next Story