Maria Sharapova of Russia stretches for a forehand en route to her tough win over Christina McHale of the U.S. at the Madrid Open tennis tournament. (Reuters)

DPA/Madrid


Maria Sharapova needed a final-set fightback to survive an assault from Christina McHale, as the 2013 finalist struggled but prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters yesterday.
Eight seed Sharapova, who won her third straight clay title and 30th of her career in Stuttgart last month, lost the Madrid final a year ago to Serena Williams. On this occasion she needed just over two-and-a-quarter hours to advance, converting four of five break points and improving her record in the series to 4-0.
The LA-based Russian began to lose her way after controlling the opening set, with the 56th-ranked McHale winning the second set and going ahead a break in the third for a 3-1 lead. Sharapova, winner of all four grand slam titles, managed to get it back, and levelled for four-all from her opponent’s backhand error.
The seed broke to love for 5-4 and served out the match with some relief a game later with her only ace of a long afternoon. “After a really good start I didn’t keep that level,” said Sharapova. “I didn’t keep doing what I was doing. I had a bit of a letdown. She’s a good competitor. She won’t just give matches away. She works really hard out there, and I think she showed that today.
“I don’t feel like I was doing much off of my return and putting any pressure on her and letting her dictate from the first point. That was really getting me in trouble.”

Na wins Chinese clash
Second seed Li Na won a Chinese clash as she put out countrywoman Zheng Jie 6-2, 6-3 to next face 16th seed Sloane Stephens, a winner over Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Australian Samantha Stosur beat Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Men’s fourth seed Roger Federer withdrew from the competition, hinting that his pregnant wife Mirka was about to give birth. “I’ve decided to withdraw from Madrid to be with my wife Mirka during these next few exciting weeks for our family,” he said on his Facebook page.
“I apologise to my fans and hope to be back in Madrid next year. I’ll be training near my home, and am excited to rejoin the Tour soon!”
Mirka Vavrinec is due to give birth any day, with Federer, a father of 4-year-old twins, saying recently that he would skip any tournament including a Grand Slam in order to be present.
Federer, who won the clay event in the Spanish capital in 2009 and 2012, was last in action at last month’s Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost to compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka in the final.
In Madrid, Federer was to have begun in the second round against Gilles Simon.
On court, Dutchman Igor Sijsling beat Federer’s good friend and 14th seed Tommy Haas 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 as the 36-year-old German struggled with a right shoulder injury.
South African Kevin Anderson beat Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Ernests Gulbis advanced over Jerzy Janowicz 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-2. The Pole has not won a match since mid-February, with this defeat his eighth in succession.
Nicolas Almagro, who beat Rafael Nadal in Barcelona, needed 11 match points to get past Kazakh Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (7-4).
Two seed began second-round play after byes, with number five David Ferrer spending almost three hours before beating Albert Ramos 7-6 (8-6), 5-7, 6-3. Milos Raonic, seeded eighth, started with a victory over Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-3.