The glamorous Maria Sharapova will play her first match of the Brisbane International tournament after the injury break today. PHOTO: AFP
Sharapova has not played since August when she was forced to withdraw from the US Open with a right shoulder injury.
The glamorous Russian had earlier suffered a hip injury, which saw her pull out of two tournaments in July, before a shock first-round loss to Sloane Stephens in Cincinnati in early August.
The 26-year-old said she wanted to ensure she did not return to the tour until she was completely recovered.
“I started quite early, so I made it into two parts. I started slow, took a little bit of a break, and then geared up again with a little bit more intensity.”
Speaking in Brisbane on the eve of her first tournament of the new season, Sharapova said she was ready to return to the tour under the guidance of new coach Sven Groeneveld.
“From the first time we met I really liked what he had to say,” said Sharapova, adding he will give her an edge that she has been missing since she parted ways with Thomas Hogstedt after a second-round loss at Wimbledon.
Lisicki cruises in heat wave conditions
Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki cruised into the second round of the Brisbane International with a straight-sets win over Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova on Sunday.
Lisicki had no trouble with the Slovakian or the 42 degrees Celsius heat on Pat Rafter Arena, winning 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes.
She went on to reach the final, where nerves appeared to get the better of her as she lost to France’s Marion Bartoli.
Lisicki was never in any trouble against Rybarikova and now meets Swiss player Stefanie Voegele in the second round.
Voegele progressed when she beat American Madison Keys 6-4, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Lisicki’s German countrywoman Andrea Petkovic set up a second-round clash against defending champion Williams when she downed American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in two tough sets 6-4, 7-5.
In another match, Japan’s evergreen 43-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm defeated Australian wildcard Olivia Rogowska 6-3, 7-5, while Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina beat Varvara Lepchenko of the US 6-3, 6-3.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2013.
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