Roger Federer, still seeking a first Roland Garros crown to complete a career Grand Slam, swept into the second round on Monday but was overshadowed by the eagerly awaited Grand Slam return of Maria Sharapova, the world’s highest-paid and most recognizable sportswoman.
The Russian golden girl, ranked at a lowly 102 after a nine-month absence because of a shoulder injury, overcame Belarusian Anastasia Yakimova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 to book a last 64 date against compatriot Nadia Petrova, the 11th seed.
Sharapova, a former Wimbledon, US and Australian Open champion, said her return feels like a second career has just get underway.
PHOTO: EPA
“Definitely. It’s the first time in my life where I couldn’t practice for such a long period of time,” said Sharapova, who warmed up for the French Open by playing singles at the low-key Warsaw event last week.
“I think it was three months where I didn’t touch a racquet. Everything about it was just bizarre. It was like some things were just taken away from your life,” she said.
Meanwhile, US teenager Alexa Glatch upset 14th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta, 6-1, 6-1.
Pennetta, who reached the fourth round last year, said she considered withdrawing from the tournament because of a hamstring problem. She appeared mobile enough to chase down shots along the baseline but could not keep the 19-year-old Glatch from winning her French Open debut.
Glatch might have caused trouble at a Grand Slam earlier had she not broken her right wrist and left elbow in 2005 when she crashed her motor scooter while being chased by a dog.
Ranked 116th, Glatch led the US Fed Cup team to the final last month by winning both of her singles matches against the host Czech Republic.
Federer overcame dropping his first service game to see off Spanish journeyman Alberto Martin 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
The Swiss star, the holder of 13 Grand Slam titles, hit 10 aces and 38 winners in his win over the former French Open junior champion and next faces Argentina’s Jose Acasuso.
“I started a little slowly,” Federer said. “He plays very far behind the baseline so I had to make adjustments.”
“Then I started to serve well. That allowed me to play more freely and I was able to dominate,” he said.
Federer was joined in the next round by US sixth seed Andy Roddick who eased past French wildcard Romain Jouan 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Roddick, who has never got beyond the third round, admitted he knew nothing of his 302nd-ranked opponent, who only discovered he was playing at the weekend when he received a telephone call while out shopping.
“I couldn’t find any information on him at all,” said Roddick of 23-year-old Jouan. “He had plenty of firepower but he’s not the most consistent guy I’ve ever played.”
Jonas Vingegaard on Tuesday claimed the overall Vuelta a Espana lead while Jay Vine earned the stage 10 victory for his second triumph of the race. Two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard overhauled Torstein Traen’s lead to head the general classification by 26 seconds from the Norwegian, with Joao Almeida third and trailing the Dane by 38 seconds. Vine put in an unmatchable performance on the final climb to finish ahead of Spanish Movistar riders Pablo Castrillo and Javier Romo. “Back in red, I’m happy with it, it’s a beautiful jersey,” Vingegaard said. “I’m happy with how the day went,
Australian Alex de Minaur reached the second week of the US Open for the third year in a row with little fanfare on Saturday and said he intended to keep winning until the tournament organizers were forced to give him better billing. Despite being the eighth seed and a quarter-finalist last year at Flushing Meadows, De Minaur’s third-round match against German Daniel Altmaier was scheduled for Court 17 — the smallest of the four stadium venues in the precinct. “It is a little bit of a headscratcher for me. I’m not gonna lie,” he told reporters after progressing 6-7 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4,
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