Sharapova survives
MELBOURNE, Australia – Top-seeded Maria Sharapova narrowly avoided a stunning third-set collapse, overcoming the soaring heat and her own mistakes to beat Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.
The heat – it was 97 degrees and muggy at midday – forced tournament officials to suspend play on the outside courts.
Sharapova, her screeching intensifying as the temperature and the pressure increased, won five straight games to open the third set before Pin rallied with five in a row – fending off match points in the eighth game – to tie it at 5.
Sharapova, after wasting another match point in the 12th game, was broken again and allowed Pin to serve for the match.
The 19-year-old Russian got back on serve when Pin double-faulted on breakpoint to make it 7-7, then won the next eight points to end the match.
Sharapova had not lost in the first round at a major since her first two Grand Slam tournaments in 2003. She has reached the quarterfinals in nine of the last 11 Grand Slams, including her U.S. Open win in September.
“This was one of the toughest matches – obviously not one of my best,” Sharapova said. “Most important, I’m looking forward to recovering.”
She said she felt pain in her lower stomach late in the match and needed attention from the trainer.
“I started in the second set getting a pinch in my stomach, I’m not sure if it was cramps,” Sharapova said. “I finally decided to call the trainer. I didn’t know if it was serious.”
When the announcement followed the match that due to the Extreme Heat Policy, tournament organizers would close the roof at Rod Laver Arena, Sharapova raised her hands over her head and clapped. She gave the announcer the thumbs up.
Asked if it was hot enough, Sharapova, now dressed in her warmup jacket, replied: “You’re not kidding.”
Virginia Ruzici was the only top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the Australian championship in the Open era, falling to Australian Mary Sawyer in 1979.
Pin, the Frenchwoman who has only reached the second round twice in 15 majors, unsettled Sharapova with her composure and by relentlessly keeping the ball in play.
Her best result was last year in Melbourne, when she took then-defending champion Serena Williams to three sets.
Sharapova had trouble with her serve, dropping six games in a blur of 65 unforced errors.
The Extreme Heat Policy, which measures conditions by combining the air and court surface temperatures, was invoked halfway through the Sharapova-Pin match.
That meant that the roofs at Rod Laver Arena and the other main show arena were to be closed at the completion of ongoing matches. Current matches on outside courts were allowed to finish, but no new matches were allowed to start for at least three hours.
Eighth-seeded David Nalbandian grew stronger in the heat as Janko Tipsarevic wilted. Tipsarevic retired because of heat exhaustion in the fifth set more than 90 minutes after he wasted his chance at serving for the match.
Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon finalist and a semifinalist here last year, won 6-7 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-0, 2-1.
Also, Sebastien Grosjean, a quarterfinalist or better at four of the last six Australian Opens, led Christophe Rochus 6-2, 4-1 when the Belgian retired because of breathing difficulties.
Tomas Berdych, seeded 13th, beat South Korea’s Lee Hyung-taik Lee 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
In women’s matches, 13th-seeded Ana Ivanovic advanced with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Vania King, and American Meilen Tu rallied to beat Edina Gallovits 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
India’s Sania Mirza was a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Olga Savchuk.
Roger Federer, aiming for a 10th Grand Slam title, began his title defense Monday with a 7-5, 6-0, 6-4 victory over Bjorn Phau.