Maria Sharapova’s first appearance at 2008 Roland Garros was postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday due to rain, and that change of plans apparently did her no good since her today’s performance was far from satisfactory. Sharapova advanced to the second round with a 6-1 3-6 8-6 win over fellow Russian Evgeniya Rodina, ranked 103 in the world, on a windswept Centre Court.
Top-seeded Sharapova almost became the first women’s tennis player ranked No.1 in the world to lose in the first round of Roland Garros, and on top of all that, it was Rodina’s first Grand Slam appearance. However, it’s very difficult to beat fighter Sharapova, even when she makes 17 double faults and 68 unforced errors, which was the case today.
The Russian, who is hoping to complete a career grand slam by winning the Roland Garros crown, next faces Bethanie Mattek.
