Melbourne, Australia – Top-seeded Maria Sharapova avoided a stunning third-set collapse, overcoming the soaring heat and her own mistakes to beat Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 today 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.
Then she hit a wall. As Pin ran off five straight games – fending off match points in the eighth game – to tie it, Sharapova’s shoulders drooped with each error. She held for 6-5, but appeared ready to be sick at any moment, once stopping her service motion to grab her left hip and grimace.
Sharapova called for the trainer as the Frenchwoman headed back on court, stretching in the shade to stay loose.
Sharapova was barely moving between points, conserving energy. She squandered her third match point as Pin served in the next game. Then she 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 break point to make it 7-7, then won the next eight points to end the match.
“This was one of the toughest matches – obviously not one of my best,” Sharapova said. “Most important, I’m looking forward to recovering.”
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 past 11 Grand Slams, including her U.S. Open win in September. Her escape today meant Virginia Uracils remains 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.
“I was so close that I thought it was my day, but apparently it was not, so next time,” Pin said.
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, a 2002 Wimbledon finalist and a semifinalist here last year, won 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, 2-1.
Second-ranked Rafael Nadal followed Sharapova on Rod Laver Arena and advanced with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2 victory over American Robert Kendrick, who took the first two sets off him at Wimbledon last year before the Spaniard rallied to win in five.
Also, Sebastien Grosjean, a quarterfinalist or better at four of the past six Australian Opens, led Christophe Rochus 6-2, 4-1 when the Belgian retired because of breathing difficulties.
Robby Ginepri advanced in five sets over Spain’s Nicolas Almagro, seeded 32nd, while No. 13 Tomas Berdych beat South Korea’s Lee Hyung-taik 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, and No. 31 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beat Kevin Kim in four.
Australian Open/At a glance
Highlights from late Day 1 and early Day 2 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne:
How the top seeds fared: MEN – No. 2 Rafael Nadal, Spain, defeated Robert Kendrick, United States; No. 8 David Nalbandian, Argentina, defeated Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia. WOMEN – No. 1 Maria Sharapova, Russia, defeated Camille Pin, France; No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, defeated Jessica Moore, Australia.
Stat of the day: 81 – Serena Williams’ current ranking on the WTA tour. Williams defeated No. 27 seed Mara Santangelo of Italy in her first-round match.
Quote of the day: “But who knows? He could have a bad day.” – Jonas Bjorkman, on his second-round opponent, the top-ranked Roger Federer
TV: 1 p.m. (taped) and 9 p.m. on ESPN2, 1:30 a.m. on ESPN
