Maria Sharapova finally awakens - French Open - ESPN: Sharapova found herself being tested almost beyond her limit by a 17-year-old French wild card named Caroline Garcia. The wind always causes Sharapova fits, and on this day it was brutal. The partisan Parisian crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier was delirious, given that Garcia is ranked No. 188 and was playing in only her second Grand Slam event, and her fourth WTA-level match ever.
For 14 games, the crowd and the girl almost got their miracle. Garcia led 6-3, 4-1 before she actually processed what was happening, before her nerves betrayed her. Sharapova won the last 11 games and escaped with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory and is into the third round.
The crowd, not surprisingly, lustily booed Sharapova afterward.
"First of all, I think I relaxed and just let things happen," Sharapova said. "I think I was way too concerned with the conditions and wasn't moving my feet and she was aggressive.
"I just finally hit the ball."
Garcia is a 5-foot-10, 134 haricot vert, but nevertheless displayed some crazy power for one so thin. She was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the town that produced former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo -- who was in the audience this day.
"I forget the opponent, and I play very well in the beginning," Garcia said. "She was not really in the court. After, it was a little bit difficult. I had many things going on in my head because I was leading. And then she reacted like a champion, because she is a great champion. These stupid mistakes that she made in the [beginning], she no longer made them.
"I started being very nervous and I started playing more from the baseline, and it was difficult for me to come back."