By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 3, 2018

 

Qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko shocked Maria Sharapova, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4, for her first career Wimbledon win.

Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

A spirited duel of screaming drives and shrieking declarations escalated past the three-hour mark.

In the end, qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko muted Maria Sharapova in a shocking Wimbledon upset.

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Rallying from a one-set, 2-5 deficit, Diatchenko stunned Sharapova, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4, to reach the Wimbledon second round for the first time.

The 27-year-old Diatchenko took the court with a meager 8-25 career record, including just two main-draw Grand Slam victories.

None of that mattered much to Diatchenko, who struck with more conviction and pulled out a timely slice forehand in the final game to squeeze past the five-time Grand Slam champion.



Playing her first main-draw match of the season, the 132nd-ranked Russian delivered her first-ever Wimbledon win.

Contesting Wimbledon for the first time in three years, the 2004 champion looked tight and tentative after serving for the match in the second set.

On match point, Sharapova dumped her 10th double fault into net bringing a timid conclusion to her first opening-round exit in 14 career appearances at The Championships.

It is Sharapova's first Grand Slam opening-round loss since she fell to another Russian, 58th-ranked Maria Kirilenko, 7-6 (4) 3-6 6-4, in the first round of the 2010 Australian Open.

It was a brilliant display of pressure play from the qualifier and an absolutely brutal loss for the 24th-seeded Sharapova, who was on course for a straight-sets win when she served for the second round.

The former world No. 1's flat forehand failed her at times as Diatchenko, who was battering the ball with two hands off both wings, grew stronger as the match progressed.



Charging back from 2-5 down in the second set, Diatchenko rolled through the tie break to level.

Still, Sharapova regained control earning the first break of the final set only to give back the break. Diatchenko consulted with the physio after falling behind a break again at 3-4.

The recharged Russian ripped some timely forehands breaking right back to level after three hours of play.

Though Sharapova has an immense edge in Grand Slam experience it was the lower-ranked Russian who kept cool at crunch time. Diatchenko slid a second serve down the T holding at 30 for 5-4.

Two points from victory at 15-30, the underdog sailed a forehand beyond the baseline. Surprising Sharapova with a side-spinning slice forehand in an awkward spot, Diatchenko drew a backhand into the bottom of the net for match point.

When Sharapova slapped a second serve into net, Diatchenko stared skyward and blew a kiss toward the last streak of a setting sky.

Sharapova packed her white bags and trudged off the court, the latest casualty of a wild opening two days that has seen a record four of the top eight women's seeds—fourth-seed Sloane Stephens, fifth-seed Elina Svitolina, sixth-seed Caroline Garcia and No. 8-seeded Petra Kvitova, a two-time champion—all failed to survive the first hurdle.