Sharapova beats Makarova at Madrid Open
Maria Sharapova beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in an all-Russian match on Monday to advance to the third round at the Madrid Open.
Maria Sharapova beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in an all-Russian match on Monday to advance to the third round at the Madrid Open.
The eighth-seeded Sharapova broke Makarova three times and dropped serve only once in the match.
"I lost some focus but it was important to let that go and concentrate on taking my opportunities in the third set," said Sharapova, whose most recent title was at Strasbourg in May 2010.
In the first round, sixth-seeded Li Na of China ousted Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-4, 7-6 (6) and Alisa Kleybanova of Russia provided the first upset by defeating ninth-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 6-2.
On the men's side, ninth-seeded Gael Monfils of France downed Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-3, 7-6 (6) and France's Michael Llodra beat Sam Querrey of the United States 6-2, 6-3.
Marin Cilic of Croatia beat Italy's Potito Starace 7-6 (5), 6-4 and Xavier Malisse of Belgium defeated Victor Hanescu of Romania 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.