Sharapova makes winning return

Originally published on 01/08/17 00:00

The former world No.1 had not played since sustaining a thigh problem in May however she showed little sign of rust as she made a positive start against the confident American. The five-time major winner – playing her first hard-court match in over two years – overcame a second set wobble to reach the second round.

"I feel like I face a lot of things,” said the delighted Russian after her first competitive match in three months. “I feel like I'm playing catch-up against everyone who's had a head start. All that matters is that I keep playing. As long as I'm the one winning the last point, I get to play another match, and another. The more I play, the better I'll do."

Sharapova will play No.7 seed Lesia Tsurenko – who defeated Lara Arruabarrena 6-6 6-3 in her opening match – in the second round. Elsewhere in Stanford, there were wins for Kayla Day, Ana Konjuh, Natalia Vikhlyantseva and Nicole Gibbs.

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