MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — It wasn't Maria Sharapova's choice to miss the last Australian Open. That decision was taken out of her hands because of a doping ban following a failed test on her previous visit to Melbourne Park.
The five-time major champion said it was her choice to return, though, and she relished every moment of it in Tuesday's 6-1, 6-4 victory over Tatjana Maria.
kAmQ(:E9 E92E 49@:46 x <?@H E92E x 7246 5:77:4F=E:6D 2?5 492==6?86D @? E96 4@FCE[ 2?5 E92E x DE2CE 7C@> ?@ C2?<:?8 2?5 E92E x >:89E DE2CE @? D@>6 @FED:56 4@FCED[ 2?5 x F?56CDE2?5 E92E 2?5 E92EVD A2CE @7 E96 AC@46DD[Q D2:5 $92C2A@G2[ H9@ H2D 2 4@?E6?E:@FD 49@:46 E@ C6AC6D6?E E96 H@>6?VD 492>A:@?D =2DE H66< 2E E96 @77:4:2= 5C2H]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D 32??65 7@C `d >@?E9D 27E6C E6DE:?8 A@D:E:G6 7@C >6=5@?:F>[ ?@E =@?8 27E6C E96 >65:42E:@? H2D 25565 E@ E96 =:DE @7 32??65 DF3DE2?46D[ H96? D96 H2D :? pFDEC2=:2 :? a_`e]k^Am
kAm$@ H96? $6C6?2 (:==:2>D H@? E96 a_`f pFDEC2=:2? ~A6?[ $92C2A@G2 H2D D:4< :? 365 2?5 H2E49:?8 @? %']k^Am
kAm$96 C6EFC?65 :? pAC:= 2?5[ 3642FD6 @7 96C D=:56 5@H? E96 C2?<:?8D[ ?66565 D@>6 H:=5\42C5 6?EC:6D E@ 6?E6C E@FC?2>6?ED] $96 >256 96C C6EFC? E@ E96 >2;@CD 2E E96 &]$] ~A6?[ 2?5 7:?:D965 E96 J62C C2?<65 }@] e_]k^Am
kAmQx =62C?65 H92E :E 766=D =:<6 E@ 36 @? E96 8C@F?5 2?5 D66:?8 =:76 7C@> E96 8C@F?5[ 2?5 xV> ?@E D9J:?8 2H2J 7C@> 2?J A2CE @7 E92E[Q D96 D2:5] Qx =@G6 H92E x 5@] xV> 2 4@>A6E:E@C 2?5 E92EVD H9J x 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ :E]Qk^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 2== <:?5D @7 4@>6324<D @? %F6D52J] $:I\E:>6 pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? 492>A:@? }@G2< s;@<@G:4 2?5 a_`c H:??6C $E2? (2HC:?<2 C6EFC?65 7C@> :?;FC:6D E92E 925 D:56=:?65 E96> D:?46 (:>3=65@?[ E@A\C2?<65 $:>@?2 w2=6A C64@G6C65 7C@> d\a 5@H? :? 96C 7:CDE D6E 2?5 2 EF>3=6 :? E96 D64@?5[ 2?5 a_`e 492>A:@? p?86=:BF6 z6C36C 4@?E:?F65 96C 2>2K:?8 C6EFC? E@ 7@C>]k^Am
kAms676?5:?8 492>A:@? #@86C u656C6C ;FDE A:4<65 FA H96C6 96 =67E @77[ 362E:?8 p=;2K q656?6 e\b[ e\c[ e\b :? 2 ?:89E >2E49[ 9:D 7:CDE @? #@5 {2G6C pC6?2 D:?46 4=:?49:?8 2 42C66C\C6G:G:?8 E:E=6 :? |6=3@FC?6 =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 `h\E:>6 >2;@C 492>A:@? 92D 366? >6E @? 4@FCE 27E6C AC6G:@FD H:?D 3J E6??:D 8C62ED {2G6C[ y@9? |4t?C@6 2?5 y:> r@FC:6C]k^Am
kAm~? %F6D52J ?:89E[ 96 8@E D@>6E9:?8 5:776C6?E] r@>65:2? (:== u6CC6== DE6AA65 @FE @7 E96 4C@H5 2?5[ D=:AA:?8 :?E@ 492C24E6C 2D #@? qFC8F?5J[ 4@?5F4E65 E96 A@DE\>2E49 :?E6CG:6H]k^Am
kAmpD FDF2=[ E96 be\J62C\@=5 u656C6C DE2J65 4=2DDJ]k^Am
kAms;@<@G:4 EH62<65 9:D D6CG:46 >@E:@? H9:=6 C64@G6C:?8 7C@> 2? :?;FC65 C:89E 6=3@H[ 2?5 FD65 :E E@ 8@@5 67764E :? 2 e\`[ e\a[ e\c H:? @G6C s@?2=5 *@F?8]k^Am
kAms;@<@G:4 =@DE :? E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 =2DE J62C[ 3FE H@? 7:G6 @7 E96 AC6G:@FD D:I pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? E:E=6D] %9:D E:>6[ 96 92D 7@FC\E:>6 492>A:@? p?5C6 p82DD: :? 9:D 4@C?6C]k^Am
kAmQ~3G:@FD=J x H2?E65 E@ DE2CE H:E9 E96 C:89E :?E6?D:EJ[ H9:49 x 92G6[Q s;@<@G:4 D2:5] Qx A=2J65 A6C764E E6??:D[ =:<6 x ?6G6C DE@AA65]Qk^Am
kAm(2HC:?<2[ H9@ 925 D:I >@?E9D @FE 27E6C DFC86CJ @? 9:D =67E <?66[ 362E #:42C52D q6C2?<:D e\b[ e\c[ a\e[ f\e WaX]k^Am
kAmu@FCE9\D66565 p=6I2?56C +G6C6G[ }@] d s@>:?:4 %9:6>[ }@] f s2G:5 v@77:?[ }@] `a yF2? |2CE:? 56= !@EC@ 2?5 }@] `h %@>2D q6C5J49 2== 25G2?465[ 3FE }@] a_ #@36CE@ q2FE:DE2 p8FE =@DE E@ u6C?2?5@ '6C52D4@ 2?5 7@C>6C (:>3=65@? 7:?2=:DE |:=@D #2@?:4 =@DE E@ {F<2D {24<@]k^Am
kAm}@] `b $2> "F6CC6J C6DE@C65 D@>6 @C56C 7@C E96 &]$] >6? H:E9 2 e\b[ e\c[ e\a H:? @G6C u6=:4:2?@ {@A6K]k^Am
kAm|25:D@? z6JD C6G6CD65 2 EC6?5[ 364@>:?8 E96 @?=J @?6 @7 E96 7@FC p>6C:42? H@>6? H9@ 4@?E6DE65 E96 &]$] ~A6? D6>:7:?2=D 7@FC >@?E9D 28@ E@ C6249 E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 :? pFDEC2=:2]k^Am
kAm%96 `fE9\D66565 z6JD[ E96 &]$] ~A6? CF??6C\FA[ 25G2?465 H:E9 2 e\`[ f\d H:? @G6C (2?8 ":2?8 2?5 H:== 36 @?6 @7 7@FC p>6C:42? H@>6? H9@ >256 :E E9C@F89 E96 @A6?:?8 EH@ 52JD]k^Am
kAmw2=6A 6?565 2 CF? @7 324<\E@\324< 7:CDE\C@F?5 6I:ED :? |6=3@FC?6 3J 362E:?8 E66?286 H:=5\42C5 6?ECJ s6DE2?66 p:2G2 f\e WdX[ e\`[ D6EE:?8 FA 2 >2E49 282:?DE a_`c (:>3=65@? 7:?2=:DE tF86?:6 q@F492C5]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C }@] `\C2?<65 z6C36C[ E96 a_`e pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? 492>A:@?[ 4@?E:?F65 96C C6DFC86?E CF? H:E9 2 e\_[ e\c G:4E@CJ @G6C p??2\{6?2 uC:65D2> E@ 6IE6?5 96C DEC62< E@ `_ 4@?D64FE:G6 H:?D]k^Am
kAm(:>3=65@? 492>A:@? v2C3:?6 |F8FCK2[ }@] e z2C@=:?2 !=:D<@G2[ }@] g r2C@=:?6 v2C4:2[ }@] h y@92??2 z@?E2[ }@] `e t=6?2 '6D?:?2[ }@] `g pD9 q2CEJ[ }@] ae p8?:6DK<2 #25H2?D<2 2?5 }@] ag |:C;2?2 {F4:4\q2C@?: 2=D@ 25G2?465]k^Am
kAm%H@\E:>6 (:>3=65@? 492>A:@? !6EC2 zG:E@G2 =@DE e\b[ c\e[ `_\g E@ p?5C62 !6E<@G:4] $96 >:DD65 E96 pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? =2DE J62C H9:=6 C64@G6C:?8 7C@> 2 <?:76 2EE24< E92E 62D:=J 4@F=5 92G6 56C2:=65 96C 42C66C]k^Am
kAm$92C2A@G2VD =@?8 23D6?46 7C@> E96 E@FC >62?D D96 :D?VE D66565 :? |6=3@FC?6[ 3FE E92E 5@6D?VE 3@E96C 96C]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 366? 2 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD D:?46 xVG6 366? 324< 96C6 — @3G:@FD=J x H2?E65 E@ 6?;@J E96 >@>6?E[Q $92C2A@G2 D2:5 27E6C 4=@D:?8 96C H:? @G6C |2C:2 H:E9 2? 246[ E96? 3=@H:?8 <:DD6D E@ E96 4C@H5]k^Am
kAm$92C2A@G2 H:== ?6IE A=2J `cE9\D66565 p?2DE2D:;2 $6G2DE@G2[ H9@ 362E 96C 2E =2DE J62CVD &]$] ~A6?]k^Am
kAm%92E =@DD H2D A2CE @7 E96 AC@46DD E92E $92C2A@G2 36=:6G6D 92D D6E 96C FA 7@C E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAmQx 76=E =:<6 x 92G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D @FE @7 E96 H2J A9JD:42==J 2?5 6>@E:@?2==J 2?5 >6?E2==J =2DE J62C[Q D96 D2:5] Q%96C6 H2D 2 =@E @7 7:CDED 282:? 7@C >6[ A=2J:?8 E96 7:CDE E@FC?2>6?E[ 7:CDE vC2?5 $=2>[ 2?5 ;FDE 5:776C6?E 766=:?8D 2?5 H92E :E H@F=5 36 C@FE:?6=J] ]]] qFE :E 76=E AC6EEJ C@FE:?6 E@52J]Qk^Am
kAm———k^Am
kAm|@C6 p! 4@G6C286i k2 E2C86ElQU>52D9j3=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2A?6HD]4@>^E28^pFDEC2=:2?~A6?QmHHH]2A?6HD]4@>^E28^pFDEC2=:2?~A6?k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.