Tentative Sharapova Begins Bid for No. 1

Maria Sharapova’s first steps into history were tentative, but got progressively more bold with each passing minute and with every crowd-pleasing passing shot.

Seeking to become the first Russian woman to attain the No. 1 ranking in the world, Sharapova showed off a set-saving serve and delivered an imperfect but empowering performance for a 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory over good friend and fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko in the first round of the JPMorgan Chase Open on Tuesday night at the Home Depot Center.

The match, enhanced by Sharapova’s determination and the shot-making of her inspired opponent, lasted one hour 50 minutes, with all but 43 minutes of it needed to complete a competitive first set.

“That was tough, but she played a good game and the first set could have gone either way,” Sharapova said. “I was just trying to get used to the circumstances. I think I was frustrated mainly because I was making errors that I wouldn’t usually make, but once I toughed the first set out, I felt like I was pretty much in control.”

The top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Sharapova didn’t take over for good until the tiebreaker after a 12th game in which she had Kirilenko down, 0-40, but the world’s No. 52-ranked player rallied for three deuce points and then sent the set to a tiebreaker when Sharapova was wide on an inside-out forehand and then Kirilenko came to the net and returned a forehand for 6-6.

“I think I played really good in the first set, one of the best in my life,” said Kirilenko, who did not engage in a post-match handshake with chair umpire Chris Wilson after what she felt were two poor line calls on a deep backhand by Sharapova that was good for a 3-3 tie in the tiebreaker and then on a forehand by Kirilenko that was called out to give Sharapova a 5-4 lead.

Sharpova never trailed again, losing only four points in the first five games of the second set.

“It was the worst umpiring of my life. Of course I was mad about it,” Kirilenko said.

“I’ve never seen so many mistakes.”

Both players made plenty of mistakes of their own early.

Sharapova opened a 2-0 lead but then lost three consecutive games on her serve while Kirilenko was broken two of the next three games in which she served. Sharapova broke Kirilenko in the eighth game to pull into a 4-4 tie and then finally held at love with an ace and three winners in the ninth game to go up, 5-4.

Sharapova, who finished the 2004 season as the No. 4-ranked player in the world and reached her highest point so far at No. 2 in April, is trying to become the 15th player to hold the women’s world No. 1 spot since the rankings’ inception in 1975. She will be the first Russian woman to reach that position if she advances to at least the semifinals this week and takes over the top spot from the injured Lindsay Davenport.

Davenport has missed the tour’s past two events because of a lower-back injury and Sharapova will be trying to take her place in part through attrition because five of the world’s top 10 players are absent this week because of injuries, illnesses and other commitments.

“I’m more focused on just winning the tournament, and if I win the tournament and keep on winning, then being No. 1 is going to happen,” Sharapova said.

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Featured matches

Today on Stadium Court at the JPMorgan Chase Open at the Home Depot Center in Carson:

Starting at 11 a.m.: Elena Dementieva, Russia, vs. Samantha Stosur, Australia; Kim Clijsters, Belgium, vs. Karolina Sprem, Croatia; Eleni Daniilidou, Greece, vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia.