Mladenovic wins Sharapova grudge match

Maria Sharapova’s first tournament since her controversial return to tennis ended is over after she lost to Kristina Mladenovic of France in the Stuttgart Grand Prix semifinals.

Mladenovic beat the former world No.1 3-6 7-5 6-4.

The win was perhaps sweeter for Mladenovic – and more stinging for Sharapova – given the Frenchwoman was one of Sharapova’s more outspoken critics when news of her failed doping test hit the headlines in March last year.

“All the other players are saying she’s a cheater. You sure doubt and think that she didn’t deserve all she won until now. That’s dreadful, but it’s good that it’s finally out,” Mladenovic said at Indian Wells last year.

Speaking with French newspaper Le Parisien, she added: “She can play with words and find a good lawyer but on the principles of the situation, she’s wrong. She has no excuse that can defend what she’s done. For me there’s no doubt. She wasn’t really liked. I respected her for her career but she wasn’t really nice nor polite, let’s be honest.”

In her fourth match following a 15-month ban, Sharapova was left to rue missing 13 of her 16 break-point opportunities as Mladenovic rallied to win in just over two and a half hours.

She lead by a set and a break before Mladenovic recovered, building a 5-2 lead in the third set before finally closing it out.

“I would have loved to use more of the opportunities when I was up a set and a break and I think I lost like 12 out of the next 14 points. So I definitely had a bit of a let-down,” Sharapova said.

The 19th-ranked Mladenovic, who ousted two-time defending champion Angelique Kerber on Thursday, next plays last year’s runner-up Laura Siegemund.

The German wildcard advanced to a second final in her hometown with a 6-4 7-5 defeat of fourth seed Simona Halep.

Sharapova, who tested positive for meldonium at last year’s Australian Open, had been given a wildcard to enter the Stuttgart event after losing her ranking because of the ban.

The five-time grand slam champion is now turning attention to tournaments in Rome and Madrid before potentially appearing at the French Open.

“I’m moving in Europe in the next couple of months and this is what I want to go through. I want to go through the matches. I want to see how my body responds, how I feel. I want to feel that match play, I want to feel the tiredness of match play,” Sharapova said.

“That’s what I asked for. That’s what I wanted and I’m doing it.”