Pegula took advantage of an error-strewn performance from Swiatek to book a spot in her maiden Grand Slam semifinal
Sharapova, seeded 14th, was unable to defend her championship here last year after undergoing surgery on her right shoulder which kept her off the tour for 10 months. She didn’t go beyond the quarterfinals at three other Grand Slam events last year.
The loss to Kirilenko was Sharapova’s earliest exit at a Grand Slam since the 2003 French Open.
Kirilenko will join 2009 runner-up Dinara Safina in the second round. Second-seeded Safina had a 6-4, 6-4 win over Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia in the first match completed on a rainy day at Melbourne Park to start what she hopes will be another run to the final.
The Marias, both Russian and both 22, clubbed 86 winners and made 118 unforced errors between them as they traded heavy ground strokes in a match that lasted 3 hours, 21 minutes and allowed No. 58-ranked Kirilenko to square their career head-to-heads 2-2.
Sharapova kept going for winners despite twice being only two points away from losing the match. She ended up with 77 unforced errors and 11 double-faults.
The former No. 1-ranked Sharapova rallied from 2-5 down in the deciding set, holding serve and then
Pegula took advantage of an error-strewn performance from Swiatek to book a spot in her maiden Grand Slam semifinal
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