By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 25, 2015

 

Reigning champion Maria Sharapova beat Kaia Kanepi, 6-2, 6-4, to raise her Roland Garros record to 51-10.

Photo credit: Roland Garros

Though she never needed to roll up her sleeves, Maria Sharapova still got a solid second-set workout in her Roland Garros return.

Clad in a long-sleeved white shirt on a cool day, the reigning Roland Garros champion overcame illness, breezy conditions and an unpredictable Kaia Kanepi, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to round two.

More: Sharapova Aims to Extend Roland Garros Reign

Coughing at times, blowing her nose on changeovers and emitting a higher-pitched shriek then usual, Sharapova seemed to be battling a cold. The illness did not deter her from raising her record to 5-0 against Kanepi and 51-10 at Roland Garros.

"Such a big occasion obviously for me to be out, back on center court, and I just, I had a tough opponent ahead of me," Sharapova said afterward.  "Of course I wanted to win the match, but I knew that it was going to be tough and it wasn't going to depend on the tennis. The conditions were pretty difficult as well. So really, overall just happy I got through and have a day off tomorrow and I should be better by then."

Asked if she ever considered not playing due to illness, Sharapova replied: "I mean, unless I'm really in my coffin, I'm going to be out there."

This match was a rematch of the 2012 quarterfinals, which Sharapova won 6-2, 6-3, en route to her first career French Open crown.

These two have a history and it's been a horror show for Kanepi. Both women are power-based baseliners, but Sharapova does everything a bit better and has been overwhelming in their past meetings.

The pace and depth she can deliver are Kanepi assets, but Sharapova craves paces, can produce sharper angles and is more accurate on the move.

Stretching her slower opponent at the outset, Sharapova won 12 of the first 15 points powering out to a 3-0 lead and earned four break points to extend her advantage to 4-0. But Kanepi dug in and earned a demanding hold for 1-3.

They exchanged breaks in the fifth and sixth games. Sharapova tormented the two-time quarterfinalist's second serve, winning eight of 11 points played on Kanepi's second delivery in the opening set. The world No. 2 broke for the third time to seal the 36-minute first set.

In the second set, Sharapova pounded away at Kanepi's backhand until it broke in the fourth game. Three backhand errors from the Estonian gave Sharapova the break and a 3-1 second-set lead.

The 50th-ranked Kanepi, who had played just three clay-court matches this season, is a streaky player whose big backswings can create timing issues. When Kanepi misses the mark, she can miss by big margins, even scattering down the line drives wide of the doubles alley.

But when she's landing her heavy groundstrokes, Kanepi can be dangerous. She broke back for 2-3 then held to level. Sharapova, who had been in such command throughout the first set, suddenly found herself deadlocked.

Serving at 4-all, Sharapova double faulted to fall behind 0-30, but strung together four consecutive points, holding for 5-4 with a slider serve down the middle.

Kanepi saved a match point in the next game, but double-faulted on the second match point to end it.

Sharapova has won 63 of her last 69 clay-court matches. She will play fellow Sochi native and Russian Fed Cup teammate Vitalia Diatchenko for a spot in the third round. The 89th-ranked Russian rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Stefanie Voegele in her first-round match.

"Actually, I just got to know [Diatchenko] during Fed Cup this year. That was really the first time where we spent some time together," Sharapova said.  "I didn't get a chance to practice with her. I practiced with the other girls. I saw her play doubles a little bit. You know, it seemed like a wasted match in a way, but maybe it was good because it was the first time I had seen her strike the ball. She's a big hitter. Goes a lot for her shots."

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