Maria Sharapova vs. Kaia Kanepi: Score and Reaction from 2015 French Open
Maria Sharapova will not provide the first major upset of the 2015 French Open—at least not yet.
Sharapova moved through her opening-round matchup with Kaia Kanepi in straight sets, finishing off the Estonian Monday 6-2, 6-4 in under an hour and a half.
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The defending French Open champion avoided major mistakes and executed a relatively conservative game plan en route to the win. It was clear from the outset that Sharapova was going to force Kanepi to make plays or make errors, taking advantage whenever her opponent got out of sorts.
“She’s played really well here at the French Open. She’s capable of playing good tennis. She’s a big hitter and great server,” Sharapova said, per the Agence France-Presse (via The National). "It’s a tough start for me, but I don’t know when it’s ever really an easy one at a grand slam.”
Though currently ranked 49th in the world, Kanepi is far from a pushover. She's made quarterfinals runs at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, including twice at Roland Garros. From a win-loss standpoint, the French is her second-best major behind the U.S. Open.
Unfortunately for Kanepi, she ran into a top-ranked player who had no interest in being on the court any longer than she was required.
Despite occasional struggles with her serve accuracy, Sharapova was dominant when she got the ball in play. She won 72 percent of her first-serve opportunities, forcing Kanepi into a series of unforced errors that helped swing the match in her favor. Kanepi posted 24 costly mistakes in a match where her margin for error was almost nonexistent.
Sharapova particularly took advantage in the first set, breaking Kanepi three times on her way to posting a 6-2 set. The second-seeded Russian actually had nine different opportunities to earn a break point. Kanepi double-faulted three times and was a particular mess on her second serve, winning three of her 11 opportunities.
While it looked for a moment like Sharapova might rampage through the second set in a similar fashion, it turned out to be far more competitive. Kanepi continued to struggle with her first serve but managed to build a respectable conversion rate on her second.
It also helped that Sharapova's game begun to show cracks. After posting only four unforced errors in the first set, she more than quadrupled that total in the second. She consistently lost when charging the net, saw her own second serves returned with fervor and nearly everything that could go wrong do so. Her three double-faults and measly five winners nearly helped Kanepi force a deciding set.
But just when the tide was turning, Sharapova got her act together. Tied 4-4, she won the final two games and avoided the frustration of having to play an extra set. It was all the more impressive considering Sharapova appeared sick on the court. She was seen coughing multiple times and declined a post-match interview.
She moves on to play countrywoman Vitalia Diatchenko in the second round. Diatchenko defeated Stefanie Vogele in her first-round matchup.
Sharapova and Diatchenko have never previously played. Given Sharapova's dominance of late, it'd be a major surprise to see her go down.
Once a self-referred "cow on ice" on clay, she is now arguably the world's best player on the surface. She's taken two of the last three titles at Roland Garros, made three straight finals and turned it into her best Slam in terms of overall record. It's been a testament to Sharapova's work ethic and skill that she's made such a turnaround—especially at a relatively late juncture in her prime.
"Five or six years ago I was afraid to open the front door of the clay season," Sharapova said last week, per Nick McCarvel of ESPNW. "It's definitely much more welcoming now. It's a great feeling."
While expected to do so, Sharapova's straight-sets win over Kanepi should be a good sign as she pushes for a third French Open title. It'll be interesting to see if those second-set struggles were an omen for the future or merely a blip on her championship radar.
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