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Maria Sharapova Receives a Wildcard For Mallorca Open

Published 06/08/2019, 7:03 AM EDT

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The five-time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova is all set to return to tennis after a three-month-long break as she will be featuring at next week’s Mallorca Open. The Russian receives a wildcard for the tournament in the island. “After more than a week testing in Mallorca, Maria Sharapova has decided to accept the wildcard offered by the Mallorca Open,” according to the statement.

Maria Sharapova skipped the clay court season 2019 due to her shoulder injury. Before that, the Russian also missed the ‘American Swing’ tournaments. Presently she has been training for the upcoming grass-court season. “I want to thank the tournament for the opportunity it gives me,” she said after receiving the wildcard for the tournament.

Earlier, Maria Sharapova was expected to play in the Mallorca Open as she mentioned on social media, “Maybe the (Mallorca) Open if I’m ready”. Also, the 32-year-old Russian informed tournament organisers of the Women’s Tennis Association in the Spanish town of Santa Ponsa on the island of Mallorca.

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The Tournament Director, Toni Nadal and organiser Edwin Weindorfer during a press conference call announced about considering Maria Sharapova as a contestant in the tournament alongside Angelique Kerber, who made an early exit in the French Open 2019.

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Also, the two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, Andrea Petkovic and Paula Bodosa will be participating in the tournament. “Maria is, combined with Serena Williams, a world-class figure of the women’s tennis over the last 15 years and having here is a great boost for our tournament”, said Toni Nadal.

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She operated her shoulder surgery in the month of March and before calling off her clay venture, the World Number 49, Sharapova last won in the opening round of the St. Petersburg Open 2019 and her next match was followed by a withdrawal. After her withdrawal in Russia this year in the month of February, Maria Sharapova was sidelined from the professional tennis circuit.

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In 2018, Maria Sharapova featured in 11 tennis tournaments, and her best results in the last season came in the semifinals of the tournaments in China’s Shenzhen and Italy’s Rome. At Australian Open 2019, she lost the French Open 2019 finalist, Ashleigh Barty in the fourth round of the Melbourne major.

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Mahalakshmi Murali

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Mahalakshmi Murali joined EssentiallySports in 2018 as a tennis author and has gone on to pen more than 1800 engaging articles, probing into various aspects of the sport and its illustrious players. With her expertise on the sport, Mahalakshmi has interviewed stalwarts from the sport such as Serena WIlliams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Kevin Anderson’s physio, Carlos Costa. Equipped with her vast experience and a keen understanding of the sport, Mahalakshmi now co-heads the tennis department.
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