AFP, Beijing :
Maria Sharapova’s stop-start comeback from a 15-month doping ban takes her to the Chinese city of Tianjin this week and a tough draw against France’s on-form Caroline Garcia.
The five-time Grand Slam champion and former number one from Russia has been paired with top seed Garcia in her opener at the Tianjin Open, where she was granted a wildcard. However, 15th-ranked Garcia has been carrying a thigh injury and combined with her reaching Sunday’s final of the China Open, she could yet choose to skip Tianjin. Sharapova, now ranked a lowly 104 in the world, could hardly have a harder opponent.
