In one of the best first-round matches during the first week of the 2019 WTA season, five-time Grand Slam champion #MariaSharapova goes up against former top-10 player #TimeaBacsinszky in the opening round of the #ShenzhenOpen. This match will be played not before 2.00 pm local time on New Year’s Eve, with both players looking to enter the new year on a high note.
How she ended 2018: Bacsinszky
Bacsinszky, returning from a career-threatening left wrist injury which sidelined her for six months, saw her ranking plummet outside the world’s top-700 and had just recently returned into the top-200 after a huge confidence-boosting run into the semifinals of the Tianjin Open.
The Swiss started on her comeback trail a little too rushed, and as a result, she had to be sidelined once again after returning at the start of 2018. Nonetheless, with a Protected Ranking of 23, Bacsinszky was able to compete regularly on the WTA tour recently.
How she ended 2018: Sharapova
Sharapova’s last tournament of 2018 was at the US Open, where she was the favourite to reach the final but was stunned by Carla Suarez Navarro in the fourth round. She abruptly ended her season there; withdrawing from tournaments in Beijing, Tianjin, and Moscow due to a shoulder injury which led to calls of concern from her fans.
It was a disappointing 2018 for Sharapova, who failed to reach a WTA final and was unable to break back into the world’s top-20 which definitely saw her confidence suffer a huge blow.
History in Shenzhen: Decent success for both
Bacsinszky stunned world number four Petra Kvitova en route to reaching the final in Shenzhen all the way back in 2015. Having tasted success in Shenzhen previously, the former Roland Garros semifinalist opted to start her season here once more.
Sharapova made her debut in Shenzhen this year — storming to the semifinals on her first attempt before falling to two-time finalist Katerina Siniakova.
Head-to-head: Sharapova dominates past meetings
Sharapova leads their head-to-head 3-1, although Bacsinszky defeated the Russian on the last occasion they met on hard courts. The Swiss miss will look to replicate the upset once more, in the same country and under similar circumstances with Sharapova being the favourite to triumph.
Match Analysis: Sharapova desperately needs to defend points, Bacsinszky looks to create upset
Bacsinszky’s variety of shots will cause Sharapova many troubles — particularly with the Russian’s trouble in dealing with marathon rallies. The Swiss aims to change the pace and rhythm of the rallies occasionally, and moving her opponent all around the court. Although she might lack power in her shots, Bacsinszky would utilize her backhands to her advantage as they were once deemed as one of the best shots on tour.
Sharapova may come into her first match of the new season looking rusty, but thinking from another perspective, she could be fresher than ever having ended her 2018 season in September. A lack of match practice will be crucial although her power might be too overwhelming for her lower-ranked opponent.
It will be interesting to see how Sharapova will perform in this match, considering she has semifinal points to defend while Bacsinszky can afford to go all out. The former Major champion is at risk of losing her seeded position at the Australian Open if she suffers an early exit, hence that could be an additional motivational factor.
Bacsinszky would need to put up her best performance since 2016 to have a realistic chance of grabbing the win, or else it might be Sharapova overcoming an early deficit to claim the win in straight sets.
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