Maria Sharapova accused of gamesmanship in grand slam return

Maria Sharapova. Photo / AP.

Maria Sharapova hasn't endeared herself to everyone in her grand slam return at the US Open.

Playing in her first major since she came back to tennis following a 15-month drugs ban earlier this year, the Russian was pitted against second seed Simona Halep in a mouth-watering first round encounter.

It was always going to be a tough assignment for Sharapova, who wasn't granted a wildcard to the French Open and missed Wimbledon - and several other tournaments - because of injury.

Some observers accused the five-time grand slam champion of an act of deception before the third set to halt Halep's momentum. Halep won the second set 6-4 after Sharapova won the first by the same margin, going on a five-game winning streak to take the match to a decider after looking down the barrel of a straight sets loss when Sharapova was up 4-1.
Sharapova took a bathroom break before the third set started, leaving Halep stranded on court practising her serves.

When nature calls, nature calls, and players are perfectly entitled to ask to go to the bathroom during a match. But many questioned the legitimacy of her six-minute absence given it came at a time when Halep was steamrolling her.

Now let's see if Sharapova takes a classless bathroom break,as she always does. And indeed, she does take a classless bathroom break #usopen

— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (IG:twdbk3) (@sluggahjells) August 29, 2017

Sharapova using a "bathroom" break simply to ruin @Simona_Halep 's rhythm. Once a cheat, always a cheat eh. Dirty play #USOpen

— Jaiden Micheal (@jaidenofficial) August 29, 2017

Sharapova playing games? What do you mean?

— Allen McDuffee (@AllenMcDuffee) August 29, 2017

Can't stand that kind of gamesmanship that Sharapova just pulled. But, you know she'd never do anything remotely dishonest. Right?

— Adam Gold (@AGoldFan) August 29, 2017

But Halep refused to condemn her rival, saying after the match: "She always does it, I'm used to it."

Gamesmanship or not, the break did wonders for Sharapova as she started the third on fire, taking a 3-0 lead.

Sharapova came back absolutely firing. Much better again.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 29, 2017

She went on to win the set 6-3 and claim the two hour and 45-minute epic, sparking an outpouring of emotion as she collapsed to her knees and broke down in tears.

"You try and think it's another day, another opportunity but it was so much more," Sharapova said.

"You never know how you are going to feel until match point but you figure it's all worth it."

Sharapova, who needed a wildcard to get into the tournament she won in 2006 after her world ranking slumped to 146, told her critics that she had no intention of giving up on her career.

"Behind this little black dress and the Swarovski crystals, there is a girl with a lot of grit and she's not going anywhere."

That was a reference to the eye-catching all-black and sequined playing gear she was wearing for the occasion. The crystals were a perfect teaser for the TV cameras for the night session on Arthur Ashe stadium where her record under the lights now stands at 18-0.

"It's prime time baby!" she said with a smile. "Sometimes you wonder why you put in all the hard work - this is exactly why."

Sharapova ended with 60 winners and 64 unforced errors and converting just five of her 22 break opportunities.

"Simona and I have so much respect for each other," she said. "It's always tough. I knew I would have to work for it."

Halep blinked at the end of the hour-long first set, double-faulting to face a break point, then watching as Sharapova punished a second serve with a forehand return winner. That was Sharapova's sixth return winner and she would finish with 14, more than enough to counter her seven double-faults.

It was quickly 4-1 for Sharapova in the second set and she held a break point there to allow her to go up 5-1 and serve for the victory. But she couldn't convert it. Then, only then, did Sharapova struggle for a bit. Her footwork was a bit off. Her forehand lost its way. She would end up losing that game and the next four, too, as Halep managed to force a third set.

But with the outcome in the balance, Sharapova once again looked as if she had never been away. She raced ahead 3-0 in the third, then 5-2. And this time, she did not let Halep back in, improving to 11-0 in first-round matches in New York.