Pacing slowly in the shade offered by the back wall, Gisela Dulko looked like a woman desperately seeking shelter from Maria Sharapova's scalding shots that danced near the lines. Fans offered a sympathetic cheer when Dulko finally got on the board after an eight-game free-fall, but Sharapova was in no mood for benevolence today.
Striking shots as if carrying a personal vendetta against the ball, Sharapova dismissed Dulko, 6-0, 6-1, in a 58-minute first-round contest that at times resembled a grudge match.
The last time these two faced off, Dulko surprised Sharapova, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, at the 2009 Wimbledon. Sharapova set an intense tone in today's warm-up when she ran over to rip a return off a Dulko practice serve.
Reigning Australian Open doubles champion Dulko drilled a forehand winner to take a 0-30 lead on Sharapova's serve minutes into the match. That was pretty much the highlight of the day for Dulko, as Sharapova pounded vicious flat drives into the corners that kept the Argentine scrambling. Playing as if shooting for a shutout, an oppressive Sharapova suffocated Dulko, who managed to win just nine points in the 25-minute first set, by driving her back behind the baseline.
It was Sharapova's first match since she aggravated a left ankle injury at the season-ending WTA Championships, where she limped out of the event after two round-robin matches. Forgoing the traditional tune-up tournaments in favor of training with coach Thomas Hogstedt, Sharapova arrived in Melbourne 10 days ago to prepare for the tournament. She'll never be the quickest player in the Top 10, but Sharapova's footwork was sharp from the first point. Taking precise preparation steps to get her body behind the ball, Sharapova ripped shots with vicious purpose, finishing with 14 winners compared to Dulko's four.
The only blemish in a commanding performance came in the third game of the second set, when Sharapova was broken. Her serve, which had been solid, suddenly went off the rails as she dumped three double faults. Surely, she'll continue to work on controlling her sometime skittish serve on the practice court, but it's tough to find fault with her ball striking, movement, and intensity. Then again, it's difficult to gauge the three-time Grand Slam champion's level based on this match, as Dulko was not nearly at her best. She took time off to get married last summer and missed much of the second half of the season with back and shoulder injuries. Giving up about six inches in height, Dulko faced a substantial strength disparity—a challenge she typically combats with her soft hands, fast racquet, and terrific timing. But her lack of match play was apparent, as Dulko just couldn't find the court at times, while Sharapova refused to miss.
The fourth seed is four years removed from her last major title, won at the Australian Open. The next step in Sharapova's ongoing evolution as a player is to take advantage of her down-the-line daggers by following them to net and working the short court.
—Richard Pagliaro