国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

Sports / Tennis

Fine line between pleasure and pain

By Reuters in New York (China Daily) Updated: 2014-08-27 07:23

Ruthless Sharapova serves up US Open lesson to old friend Kirilenko

Maria Sharapova found no room for sentiment on Monday as she gave her old friend Maria Kirilenko a tennis lesson and rolled to a 6-4, 6-0 win and into the second round of the US Open.

Returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time in two years after she missed last year's tournament through injury, a ruthless Sharapova made it crystal clear she was not going to let friendship stand in her way of a second title at Flushing Meadows.

She made an unsteady start to the year's final Grand Slam, falling behind 2-4 in the opening set, before she switched into top gear and stormed through the next 10 games.

"We spent a lot of time in the juniors away from the courts practicing a lot together, competing against each other," Sharapova said of her long-standing relationship with Kirilenko. "We certainly have a big history together.

"But when you go out on the court, it's always that fine line between; of course you want to be the winner, you have to face that person as a competitor, not someone that you've known for years and developed a friendship with.

"It's always a tricky balance, I guess."

The similarities between the two Russian right-handers is striking.

Both are tall, though Sharapova stands about six inches (15 cm) taller than Kirilenko, they are both 27 and made their professional debuts within months of each other in 2001.

Their careers, however, have taken vastly different paths.

Kirilenko has won six career titles while Sharapova has won half that many already this season, including the French Open.

With 32 titles, Sharapova, a former-world No 1 and five-time Grand Slam winner has banked more than $30 million in prize money, Kirilenko $6.7 million.

After missing last year's US Open, Sharapova reveled in her return, soaking up the atmosphere on the massive Arthur Ashe center court.

"It's just full of energy," the fifth seeded Russian said. "They're loud and passionate. You just feel the sports lovers are there.

"I think you feel the goosebumps when you go out in a night match on Arthur Ashe."

While Sharapova's slow start offered the briefest moment of suspense, the form book offered not a hint of a possible upset.

In 44 previous Grand Slam appearances, Sharapova had lost in the first round only three times, two of those coming in her rookie season.

She has won 41 of her past 42 first-round matches at Slams; her solitary loss in that time coming at the 2010 Australian Open to Kirilenko.

But there would be no upset on Monday for Kirilenko, who has been hampered by knee and wrist injuries this year and has won only two matches in six tournaments.

"I thought there was a few times where I could have broken her in the beginning of the match," said Sharapova, who will next meet Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru.

 Fine line between pleasure and pain

Maria Sharapova returns to Maria Kirilenko during their US Open clash on Monday. Don Emmert / Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 08/27/2014 page24)

Most Popular
What's Hot
Highlights
Special
...
贡觉县| 宜良县| 玛纳斯县| 潜江市| 大姚县| 普宁市| 凤凰县| 武汉市| 临颍县| 金门县| 阿荣旗| 克拉玛依市| 黄浦区| 威宁| 黎平县| 平邑县| 江阴市| 乌鲁木齐县| 金川县| 福建省| 麻阳| 阳江市| 尚志市| 吉木乃县| 兴业县| 彰武县| 万源市| 巴林左旗| 福贡县| 利津县| 绥德县| 绥化市| 澄迈县| 河曲县| 梓潼县| 河北省| 辉县市| 尼木县| 安国市| 漳平市| 泸溪县|