Maria Sharapova hits ground running in Australian Open return

MARIA Sharapova is back! Two years after her last Australian Open appearance, the 2008 champion’s infernal screeching again entered back into Melbourne Park consciousness.

Maria Sharapova celebrates a point.

IT was as though she had never been away.

The practised routines and quirks, the infernal screeching — and the resounding early-round demolition.

Two years after her last Australian Open appearance, Maria Sharapova blazed back into Melbourne Park consciousness with a 6-1 6-4 victory over German Tatjana Maria.

Sidelined because of a 15-month ban for a doping violation — from a sample she provided after a quarter-final loss to Serena Williams at Melbourne Park in 2016 — Sharapova is back.

Maria Sharapova back in action at Melbourne Park.

And the hard-as-nails veteran has outlined her preferred path towards Australian Open glory, saying she expects no favours — nor wants them.

“Every draw is different and has its own challenges. And people are saying I have a tough draw,” she said.

“Personally these are the players that I want to be playing.

“I want to be playing someone that has challenged me. I want to be playing someone that’s on a hot streak and playing well. These are the players I should be playing and beating, as well.

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“I expect that from myself. I want to put myself in that position to play against them no matter who it is in the past and I look forward to doing in the future.

“I feel like I’m building. I feel like with every tournament and every week I have different feelings about different things.

“Some things are coming a little slower than I wanted. Some things I feel good about.

“Still feel like I’m building physically and getting the match play in.

“Overall, I’m motivated to, with every week, to keep taking in what I have learned from that week and using it to my advantage in the following tournament. As long as I have that in my mind, it’s okay.”

Maria Sharapova signs autographs after her win. Picture: Michael Klein

With 22 winners and three aces, the 2008 champion was simply too good for Maria.

Ranked one place below the German at No 48, Sharapova’s quest to reclaim a place among the elite burns fiercely.

“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been back here,” she said.

“Obviously I wanted to enjoy the moment, it was meaningful to be out here.

“It means a lot to me, I cherish these moment, I love it. There’s so much to play for than just myself.

“That’s why it’s so meaningful.

Sealing victory with an ace, Sharapova will next play either Latvian Anastasija Sevastove or American Vavara Lepchenko.

Maria Sharapova celebrates a point.

From the moment Sharapova took to Margaret Court Arena, it was all business — Cold, remote and intense.

Barely acknowledging her opponent or Croatian umpire Marija Cicak, Sharapova picked off where she had left off two years ago, the Williams hammering aside.

She took just eight minutes to pull away from overwhelmed, celebrating an unforced error from the German with an obligatory fist pump and a loud ‘C’mon.’

Screeching interminably, Sharapova squandered an impressive opening with a wild forehand to gift Maria a levelling service break.

She quickly atoned for the lapse, cracking a forehand winner — replete with ear-piercing shriek — into open court before surging to 4-1.

It took Sharapova just 32 minutes to win her first set at Melbourne Park since 2016.

Crowd loyalties were strongly in underdog Maria’s corner, a rifled backhand winner down the line, drawing rapturous applause — and again when Sharapova muffed a sitter smash early in the second set.

Tatjana Maria was no match for Sharapova’s power.

Seemingly rattled, Sharapova dropped serve and trailed 1-3 but was soon back on terms when Maria shoved a forehand wide.

Imposing power and sheer will on her opponent, Sharapova simply ground Maria into submission.

And when the frazzled German horrendously double-faulted to again lose serve, the contest was all but dead.

Sharapova said she does not dwell in the past, refusing also be drawn into criticism over her appearance at the Australian Open draw.

“I have got a lot of things out of the way physically and emotionally and mentally last year,” she said.

“There was a lot of firsts again for me, playing the first tournament, first grand slam, and just different feelings and what it would be routinely.

“But it felt pretty routine today, just really happy to be back here.”

Asked about Tennis Australia’s decision to carry the women’s singles trophy into the draw ceremony, Sharapova said: “I was invited to be part of the draw by Craig Tiley and the tournament organisation, and I kindly accepted.”