- Russian goes out to Donna Vekic in opening round
- Sharapova world ranking projected to drop to No 366
It says much about a player’s decline when their early departure from a big tournament goes largely unnoticed in the wider context but remains a centrepiece of the media circus. So it was for Maria Sharapova, whose lingering celebrity still commands a place on the main stage, but yet again was not matched by her performance here.
Invited into the draw with a wildcard, the 32-year-old Russian thanked the tournament director, Craig Tiley, for his generosity, after flitting past us in an hour and 21 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, helpless to stop 19th seed Donna Vekic winning 6-3, 6-4.
Written by Kevin Mitchell at Melbourne Park
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/21/maria-sharapova-australian-open-exit-fears-future-shoulder-problem-tennis under the title “Maria Sharapova unsure if she will return to Australian Open after early exit”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
