Sharapova too strong for tennis mum Davenport
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Fifth seed Maria Sharapova says she approached the match with Davenport like it was a final. (Getty Images: Robert Prezioso)
Fifth seed Maria Sharapova overwhelmed Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 6-3 in the Australian Open second round on Wednesday evening to bring the US tennis mum's grand slam comeback to a juddering halt.
A match expected to be a hard-fought slugfest between two of the biggest hitters in the game became a one-sided affair as an intensely-focused Sharapova rattled Davenport with an early onslaught.
The glamorous Russian said she had to be at the top of her game against three-time grand slam champion Davenport, who has shown outstanding form since returning to the tour in September less than four months having a baby.
"I approached it like it was a final ever since I took a peek at the draw and saw that Lindsay was my second round," the Florida-based 20-year-old said.
"From the day I found out I might play her I started working towards her game. I wanted my coach to hit the ball as hard as he can for five days because she's one of the biggest hitters out there."
Sharapova described Davenport's return to grand slam tennis so soon after giving birth as incredible and joked that baby Jagger had been cheering on his mother courtside.
"I felt bad because I thought I saw her little kid giving me dirty looks," she said.
Sharapova will play Russian Elena Vesnina in the third round.
- AFP
