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Maria Sharapova survives test from Alison Riske at Shenzhen Open

By Harry Floyd

BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 03: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia during the women's singles first round on day four of 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 3, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 03: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia during the women's singles first round on day four of 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 3, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) /
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Maria Sharapova is into the quarterfinals at the 2018 Shenzhen Open. The Russian tennis star continues her strong start to the WTA Tour.

Maria Sharapova is off to a strong start on the 2018 WTA Tour.

The Russian tennis star is kicking off her first full tour since returning last year after a fifteen month suspension. Sharapova survives a test from American Alison Riske at the 2018 Shenzhen Open in China.

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Sharapova takes the round of 16 meeting with Riske in three sets. She pulls off the win, clinching the victory 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Up next for Maria Sharapova is Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas.

Sharapova rallies after dropping the first set to the American. Riske, while considered by many an underdog in the match, is a two-time runner-up at the Shenzhen Open. She has seen plenty of past success at the early WTA Tour event.

If Sharapova can make it past Diyas, a semifinals birth this early in the season could be huge. She is looking to rise in the rankings this year on tour and, with the Australian Open right around the corner, any momentum she can gather is crucial. The quarterfinals meeting between Sharapova and Diyas takes place on Wednesday at the 2018 Shenzhen Open.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

"“I’m glad I got this kind of match. Although I would’ve wanted a quick and easy victory, these are the kind of matches that you need, especially with such a short preparation going into the Australian Open in terms of match play,” – Maria Sharapova in post-match interview"

Look for Sharapova to be the favorite in her quarterfinals match. Also in action this week is world No. 1 Simona Halep. The Romanian tennis star is the top seed at the Shenzhen Open. Second seed and defending French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko, sees an upset this week from Kristyna Pliskova. Several top seeds remain alive so the road to a title does not get any easier for Sharapova. Check back to see how she fares in her next match. Stay tuned for any updates on all of the action at this year’s Shenzhen Open.

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