Sharapova Is Ousted In the Second Round
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
WIMBLEDON, England, June 24 -- Give Maria Sharapova credit for honesty.
Before Wimbledon began, she acknowledged that a recent comeback from shoulder surgery made it too much to ask for her to contend seriously for a second title at the All England club.
Sharapova was right: She didn't even make it out of the second round. Playing poorly at the start and finish on Wednesday, the 2004 Wimbledon champion lost, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, to 45th-ranked Gisela Dulko of Argentina.
"Losses are tough -- more here than at any other tournament," said Sharapova, who double-faulted seven times in the final set. "I would have liked to have a longer season before coming here."
With easy victories for past champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer, Sharapova's early exit counted as the most surprising development on Day 3 at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament -- unless, that is, you count the weather.
The temperature was in the 70s, the sky was bright blue, the clouds were scarce and, for the third day in a row, not a single drop of rain fell. The only use the All England club is making of Centre Court's fancy, new retractable roof is shifting it slightly to provide some shade for those seated in the Royal Box.
Dulko claimed nine of the first 11 games, changing speeds effectively while Sharapova's errors piled up.
"It took me a while to get going. It's a little too late to start picking yourself up when you're down a set and 3-love," said Sharapova, who had surgery on her right shoulder in October and was off the tour for more than nine months.
That absence dropped her out of the top 100, but by going 10-3 before Wimbledon -- including 6-0 in three-set matches -- Sharapova climbed to 60th, and she was seeded 24th based on past success at the tournament. But she was tentative on some shots, just plain off-kilter on others, flubbing some sitters and simple volleys.
One player who might benefit from Sharapova's loss: Williams, the 2002 and 2003 Wimbledon champion, who could have faced the Russian in the quarterfinals. Williams moved into the third round by beating Jarmila Groth, 6-2, 6-1. Federer beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
