New Delhi:
Former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova made an emphatic return to professional tennis as she inflicted a major upset on second seed Simona Halep, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in the opening round of the US Open on Tuesday.
Sharapova was cheered on by a jam packed crowd at the Arthur Ashe stadium, who backed the Russian star to the hilt against the more fancied Romanian Halep. Sharapova shall be taking on Timea Babos of Hungary in the second round.
The former Olympic medalist Sharapova made her first appearance in a grand slam since the 2016 Australian Open, when she tested positive for the recently banned heart medication meldonium after losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Although her suspension ended this April, she was not given a wild-card entry into the French Open.
