The "shaky" start Maria Sharapova was referring to was the lone game
she could not prevent Samantha Murray from winning at the beginning of the first set. As it was the Wimbledon 2004 winner instantly gathered herself, took back the service she had dropped and like Serena Williams did on Centre Court shortly afterwards against Anna Tatishvili, sent Murray packing back to Stockport.
Sabine Lisicki, afforded the honour of opening play in the women's draw as last year's winner Marion Bartoli retired soon after her 2013 win, also had a seamless two-sets win on a day the landscape remained largely intact.
Sharapova, winner at Roland Garros, conceded her fumbling opening was an irritant. She said she doesn't look to the past or the future. Becoming an accidental existentialist may make her better prepared for what lies ahead but her start was impressive once the movement and timing were grooved.
Trouncing
She trounced Murray 6-1, 6-0, Williams delaying a little longer with her Georgian-born American opponent but cleaning her out 6-1, 6-2. “This is a new day,” explained Sharapova. “It’s not a new tournament,” she added confusingly. “But it’s a new opportunity.”
Everyone knew what she meant but like Williams and indeed Lisicki or Caroline Wozniacki, little can be taken from opening wins except the momentum, confidence and relief that as one of the top seeds you don't become an unwanted statistic. Williams held a similar view, her start probably less "shaky" than uneven and forced to fight hard to hold serve. But where Sharapova dropped a game, Williams tantalised the 113-ranked Tatishvili offering five break points. Despite that the multiple champion found herself 2-0 up and galloping towards the win post.
Having played no grass tournaments in the run in, Williams is chasing her 18th Grand Slam. She has won five times on the grass, five times in Australia, five in New York and twice at Roland Garros.
Williams won the last nine points for a 6-1 first set and while the full arsenal wasn’t functioning perfectly, her serve was strong, those backhand drives off one knee were firing up and there was never any threat to the outcome. After 31 winners and 16 aces she had the second set 6-2.
Wozniacki won 6-3, 6-0, having had to play from a set and 2-0 up after rain interrupted her match against Israel’s Shahar Peer on Monday night. Afterwards she was asked about her disappointment in Paris shortly after her break with Irish golfer Rory McIlroy.
“I answered that the time of the French Open,” she said. “Right now we’re at Wimbledon. We’re a month already past that. I’m feeling good and I’m playing well and I’m excited to be here.” Subject closed.
