Sharapova returns to US Open with easy victory

NEW YORK: After missing last year's US Open
with a shoulder injury, former champion Maria Sharapova returned to the spotlight with an impressive
Maria Sharapova

6-3, 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria on Tuesday.

Sharapova's game was as glittery as her black-and-silver dress and matching headwrap, an outfit she described as a tribute to New York's skyline.

Several hours after Russian compatriot Dinara Safina came perilously close to becoming the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose in this major tournament's first round, 2006 champion Sharapova gave a much stronger performance.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner produced 29 winners - a whopping 23 more than her 98th-ranked opponent.

Sharapova showed no signs of the shoulder tear that forced her to have surgery in October and kept her off the tour for nearly 10 months.

"This is a Grand Slam. You've got to get going from the first match," Sharapova said. "After being gone, this is what it's all about."

In addition to tennis skills and grit that once placed her No. 1 in the rankings, Sharapova always has placed an emphasis on fashion. On this night, her black dress carried bold, metallic accents that would gain her entry into even the trendiest of New York clubs. She paired it with a matching, '60s-style silver headband.

As often happens with Sharapova, the post-match, on-court interview dealt as much with her getup as her game. "It's always 50-50: You never know when people are going to like it or not," Sharapova told the crowd.