Sharapova took her record against Kanepi to 5-0
Estonia's Kaia Kanepi returns the ball to Russia's Maria Sharapova during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium. (Photo: AP)
Paris: Defending women’s champion Maria Sharapova reached the French Open second round on Monday but was jeered by fans after she refused to carry out an on-court TV interview. Second-seeded Sharapova defeated experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-4 to set-up a clash against Fed Cup teammate Vitalia Diatchenko.
But the 27-year-old Sharapova then irritated the Philippe Chatrier Court crowd by refusing to carry out the traditional on-court television interview, claiming her voice was not strong enough.
Sharapova took her record against Kanepi to 5-0 but struggled at times on Monday in the testing wind which swirled around the showpiece arena. Meanwhile, ex-world number two and 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska was a shock first-round loser. The Polish 14th seed, a quarter-finalist in 2013, went down 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 to Germany’s Annika Beck, a player she defeated 6-0, 6-0 when they met at Indian Wells last year.
The loss was only the third time in 34 Grand Slam tournaments that 26-year-old Radwanska had lost in the first round. World number four Tomas Berdych, a 2010 semifinalist, continued his solid claycourt season with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 win over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka, the world number 146.
The 29-year-old Berdych will now face Davis Cup-winning teammate Radek Stepanek, the oldest man in the draw at 36, for a place in the last 32. Stepanek became the oldest man to win a match at Roland Garros since 38-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1991 when he saw off Croatian journeyman Ivan Dodig 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Spain’s 11th seed Feliciano Lopez was the biggest men’s casualty so far when he lost to Russian world number 74 Teymuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.
( Source : AFP )
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