Sharapova sets up Bouchard grudge match

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Maria Sharapova set up an intriguing second-round clash with outspoken critic Eugenie Bouchard at the Madrid Open by seeing off Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 yesterday.

A sparse crowd turned out to see the five-time grand slam winner begin her second tournament after completing a 15-month suspension for testing positive for banned substance meldonium and the Russian was made to work for the win by world No. 20 Lucic-Baroni, who took the first set.

Sharapova, winner of the tournament in 2014 and a semifinalist last week in the Stuttgart Grand Prix, regained composure to take the second before blitzing the tired Lucic-Baroni in the third without dropping a game.

Sharapova had 16 winners and only 10 unforced errors in her claycourt victory, her fourth since a controversial return to tennis. The Russian said it was "extremely important" to get the opening-round victory.

"The first match of a tournament is always one of the most difficult and it's been a while since I played on this court," she said. "I was just so happy to be back out here, to have the opportunity to play against a really tough opponent and come out and be a winner in three sets."

Sharapova will meet Bouchard, ranked 60, today in an eagerly anticipated game due to the Canadian's fierce criticism of the WTA's decision to allow the Russian to return to competitive tennis.

Bouchard, 23, labelled Sharapova a "cheater" in an interview in April and said the WTA was setting a bad example to youngsters in letting her back into the sport.

World No. 2 Angelique Kerber eased into round two with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Hungary's Timea Babos.

The German is the top seed with world No. 1 Serena Williams absent because the 23-time grand slam champion is expecting her first child.

Sharapova's conqueror in Stuttgart, Kristina Mladenovic — another fierce critic of the Russian — is also safely through when Ana Konjuh retired after Mladenovic levelled at one set all.

Eighth seed and 2015 finalist in Madrid, Svetlana Kuznetsova, cruised past Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-3 while China's Wang Qiang beat Caroline Garcia of France 6-4, 6-3.

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