It wasn’t the fairytale that Maria Sharapova dreamt of at the Kremlin Cup, but still she exits Moscow defiant and without regret.
After a ten-year hiatus from her home tournament, she played her first match on Wednesday against Wimbledon semifinalist Magdaléna Rybáriková. Cheered on by an army of Russian fans, the former world No.1 failed to triumph. Getting edged out in two tightly contested sets by the eighth seed.
“She played a smart game and could send back lots of balls. Maybe I wasn’t really ready for the way she played.” Sharapova told reporters in her press conference.
Sharapova could have chosen to end her season on a high note four days ago. Last week she claimed her first WTA title since returning from a 15-month doping ban in April. At the Tianjin Open, she won the trophy without dropping a single set. It was the breakthrough she eagerly sought, but the prospect of returning to her motherland was one thing Sharapova refused to give up on.
“I wanted to finish my season in Moscow.” Explained Sharapova. “I haven’t played here for ten years and every year I try to qualify for the (year end) Championships in Singapore, it is an important big tournament and that’s the reason I play in my motherland so rarely.”
“If the tournament were held in a different city than Moscow, I wouldn’t have played after five matches in China. I fought, I tried to do my best and tried to win this match but my opponent played well.”
Sharapova’s return to the tour has been everything but smooth. In the immediate aftermath of her ban ending, fellow players on the tour questioned the fairness of reward her a wild card after breaking anti-doping rules. On top of that, injury started to wreck havoc. She missed the entire grass swing of the tour due to a thigh problem.
Despite the setbacks, Sharapova has managed to retain the loyalty of both her sponsors and fans throughout. Illustrated in Moscow with a sellout crowd watching her play. Many of them were carrying copies of Sharapova’s book Unstoppable.
“The support was great and the stadium was packed. I didn’t know what to expect and I wanted to play in my home country knowing that the whole country has supported me over the last two years.”
At the age of 30, the five-time grand slam champion is hoping to continue her rise in the future. She is currently ranked 57th in the world and has won 16 out of 22 matches played on the tour this season.
“If God gives me enough health, I hope to play for a long time.” Sharapova admits. “I do love this sport and I am trying to improve myself from practice to practice. That’s is why I am playing.”
