Maria Sharapova reached the last 16 of the French Open on Friday by defeating Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Russia's Maria Sharapova returns a ball during her French Open third round match in Paris.
It was a hugely encouraging win for the the biggest name in women's sport in what was just her second tournament back after a 10-month injury lay off during which she underwent surgery to her troublesome right shoulder. And with a favourable draw, she can harbour realistic hopes of making it through to the semi-finals where top seeded compatriot Dinara Safina could be her opponent.
The 22-year-old Sharapova, who once likened her claycourt tennis to "a cow on ice", lived up to her own description in the first set as she sprayed shots left and right and allowed the Moscow-born Shvedova to dominate the exchanges.
She looked to be heading for a thrashing, but dug in and managed to grab a morale-boosting break of serve in the fourth game of the second set. Shvedova annulled that in the very next game, but Sharapova broke again to lead 5-3 and she served out to level the score.
The final set went with serve until 3-3 when Sharapova, who had gradually found her range and her shot-making scream, piled the pressure on her opponent's serve and forced her into a series of errors. From there the Russian served out for the win and a place in the last 16 where she will take on another player who has battled all year against injury - China's Li Na.
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