Maria Sharapova has made a strong Grand Slam comeback following her 15-month doping ban. The former world number one stunned second seed Simona Halep in the opening-round encounter, much to the delight of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd on Monday, August 28.
The Russian superstar has been winning hearts with her black outfit that is embellished with Swarovski crystals.
"Behind all these Swarovski Crystals and little black dresses, this girl has a lot of grit and she's not going anywhere," Sharapova said after her win over Halep. The 30-year-old, indeed, looked on top gear during her 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win.
Much to the surprise of the tennis fraternity, Sharapova, who had been suffering from injury issues in the lead-up to the US Open, was dictating rallies against the in-form Halep. The Russian showed no signs of rustiness as she was able to move freely on the court.
The former champion carried the confidence of her first-round win into her second-round outing against higher-ranked Timea Babos on Wednesday, August 30. The Russian lost a closely-fought opening set, but she fought back to take the match 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-1.
Who is Sofia Kenin, Sharapova's opponent?
Sharapova, on Friday, will face 18-year-old Sofia in the third-round match. The former world number one has never faced the American before and she even conceded she does not know much about her opponent.
Kenin, who reportedly is also a lover of Swarovski crystals, was born in Russia and moved to the United States at a very young age. She has even trained under Nick Bollettieri and Robert Lansdorp, former coaches of Sharapova.
When does the match start and how to watch it live
Sharapova's third-round match against Sofia is the second match of the evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It is expected to start at 9 pm local time (6:30 am IST, Saturday).
Live streaming and TV coverage information below
India: TV: Star Sports Select 1/ Select 2. Live streaming: Hotstar
UK, Rest of Europe: TV: Eurosport. Live streaming: Eurosport Player
US: TV: ESPN, ESPN 2. Live streaming: Watch ESPN, Tennis Channel
Japan: TV. WOWOW
Canada: TV: TSN, RDS
Africa: TV: Supersport. Live streaming: Supersport Live Streaming
South East Asia: Fox Sports. Live streaming: Fox Sports Go
After showing quite a lot of promise in the junior circuit, Sofia, who earned a wildcard into the main draw of the ongoing US Open, clinched her first win in a Grand Slam when she defeated Lauren Davis in straight sets on Monday.
She then went on to beat compatriot Sachia Vickery 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(0) in the second-round to set up a dream meeting with Sharapova in front of a massive crowd at the Arthur Ashe.
"It is incredible to play here in the third round, that is huge. To play against a great player like Maria, it is going to be great. I am going to try to obviously do well. It is really exciting to be in this position and to be playing the person who I have always looked up to all my life," Sofia said, as quoted by WTA's official website.
