Bahrain take on P23 Kuwait today SPORTS 2424 Friday, April 28, 2017

round tie. good to finally play,” said the former “I’m happy. I number one. executed my game “The reaction and anticipation plan and I was solid,” said you need are so hard to replicate a relieved Sharapova, whose in training and these are the things comeback is deeply controversial I need.” Makarova, who has now and has a wild card to play in the lost all of her seven matches against Stuttgart Stuttgart event where she has been a Sharapova, put up a fight as the first aria Sharapova champion three times. set followed serve, but was broken in picked up On Friday she will face Estonian the final game. Sharapova pumped a secondM win in as many qualifier , who beat her fist and let out a scream as she days on her comeback champion and fifth- converted her second set point. from a 15-month seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain in It was all Sharapova in the second doping ban yesterday, the second round, for a place in the set as she won six straight games after beating fellow Russian semi-finals. Makarova won the first on her serve. Ekaterina Makarova “I haven’t played her, she is one Stuttgart has always been a happy at the Stuttgart WTA of the few girls on the tour I haven’t hunting ground for Sharapova in tournament. faced yet,” said Sharapova. the past and she has won three finals The 30-year-old “She has been playing some and tasted defeat just once in four five-time Grand great here and this is a great previous appearances. Slam winner opportunity for both of us.” Having also been given wild cards dominated There was none of the rust or to play at the Madrid and Rome Makarova, nerves Sharapova showed in tournaments, Sharapova must wait ranked 43 in beating 7-5, 6-3 in until May 16 to learnt if she will get a the world, Wednesday’s first round -- the first wild card for the French Open. for a 7-5, day she was eligible to play after However, there appeared to be no 6-1 win in testing positive for meldonium at the end to the criticism Sharapova has just one 2016 . encountered on her comeback. hour, 20 This was a far more polished, was the latest minutes, confident display from Sharapova, player to attack Sharapova, who the in the who hit nine aces and 29 winners Canadian branded a “cheater” over second- against Makarova. her return from a drugs ban. But there is still work to do before Bouchard has suggested the facing Kontaveit as Sharapova also Russian should be kicked out of had seven double faults and made 19 tennis for life and said the Women’s unforced errors. Tennis Association was sending ’s Ekaterina “Practice and playing are the wrong message in allowing Makarova returns to so different and you can only Sharapova to come back from her Russia’s prepare the best you can, so it’s 15-month suspension. (AFP)

Hon.Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Responsible Editor Mahmood AI Mahmood | Managing Editor Soman Baby | Managing Director P. Unnikrishnan | Adviser Med Jones Advt : Strategic Publicity & Advertising Co.W.L.L | Tel: 17270710, Fax17256470, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 17579911, Fax17250150, Email: [email protected] Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing | Subscription & circulation: Tel: 38444698/17579877/Fax17250150, Email:[email protected] | Website: www.dt.bh