Maria Sharapova bows out, still comes away a winner at U.S. Open
By Ava Wallace September 3 at 7:59 PM
NEW YORK — With her high-flying, dramatic and not entirely unexpected return to the Grand Slam stage finally hurtling toward its end, Maria Sharapova fought as if she was playing for her life Sunday afternoon at the U.S. Open.
Her playing hand taped to mollify a pesky blister, the Russian sprinted and lunged to save three match points before finally ceding the fourth to 16th-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, who won, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, to advance to her second U.S. Open quarterfinal in as many years.
It was one final glimpse of what tennis fans had been treated to for four matches in New York: vintage Sharapova.
Despite Sharapova’s 19-month absence at the Grand Slam stage, her groundstrokes remained bold and powerful. Her outfits still were note perfect — she made her debut and upset the No. 2 seed in the first round dressed in villainous black and she lost Sunday in pale pink so light it could have been white — and her ability to create drama stayed intact. When No. 5 seed Caroline Wozniacki criticized the U.S. Tennis Association after her second-round loss for favorably scheduling Sharapova, a player returning from a suspension for using a banned substance, Sharapova responded flatly: “All that matters to me is I’m in the fourth round. Yeah, I’m not sure where she is.”
On Sunday, she spent her time post-match reflecting on a Grand Slam judged to be a net-positive for the Russian. On court, she won three good matches. Off court, she received star treatment from the tournament and appreciation from fans, the latter of which didn’t go unnoticed by Sharapova after a controversial absence.
“It’s been a really great ride in the last week,” she said, “. . . It’s great to get that major out of the way. It was an incredible opportunity. I’m very thankful for the opportunity. I did my best. I can be proud of that.”
Sharapova displayed her trademark fight during the match. But her lack of match play over the past year and a half finally caught up with her.
“I have great respect for her,” Sevastova said. “I mean, I was 14 years old, I was playing at an under-14 tournament, and she was winning Wimbledon the same day basically. Yeah, I was confident. I was feeling it. But still you have to beat her. I think she was playing one of the better matches here, one of the best matches here. If she hits you off the court, then you say, congratulations. But, again, I try to play smart.”
The 30-year-old Russian couldn’t convert a key break point at 4-3 in the second set, and the Latvian captured momentum.
From there, Sevastova imposed her game. The 27-year-old ran Sharapova up and down the court, causing her to flub up at the net, and took a quick 3-0 lead in the deciding set. Sharapova double-faulted away the first game, then made three unforced errors in four points to lose the third.
Sharapova smacked a forehand winner to force deuce trailing 5-2 in the third set as Sevastova’s nerves kicked in. The Latvian finally won it with a 103-mph serve wide to move on.
Sunday was Sevastova’s first time playing the former world No. 1, but good memories at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center helped keep her clearheaded. She had yet to drop a set entering Sunday’s match. Her first major career breakthrough was in New York, as well, when she beat Garbine Muguruza and Johanna Konta to advance to the quarterfinals last year.
“For sure from last year, I only have great memories here,” she said. “It helped me a lot because I knew I could play well here.”
This is Sevastova’s deepest run at a Grand Slam this year. She faces American Sloane Stephens next.
Stephens won her match, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, against Julia Goerges on Sunday afternoon to become the first active American woman other than the Williams sisters to reach the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
Sharapova, meanwhile, ends her Grand Slam comeback contented.
“I think there are a lot of positives. You know, playing four matches, playing in front of a big crowd and fans. Just competing, you know, being in that competitive environment,” Sharapova said, “that’s what I missed.
“You can’t replicate that anywhere, especially at a Grand Slam. So for me to come out, Monday night was a special night for me. I will always remember it. I’m very grateful to have had that opportunity to bring it. And as I said, I came in not playing a lot of matches. We all know that. I didn’t have much practice. It’s obviously always disappointing to be on the losing end of things. But, I mean, reflecting back on the week, I can be happy.”
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