General / Editor / 23 May 2007 /

Maria Sharapova made a winning return after a two-month injury lay-off with victory over Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets in the Istanbul Cup.

The US Open champion looked short of match fitness but still managed to take the first set 6-4 against her unseeded Bulgarian opponent and was taken to a tie-break in the second before eventually winning it 7-1.
"It was a difficult match and I was not expecting much from myself because I just came back from one of my worst injuries," said the 20-year-old Russian after her victory.

"It was not my best performance, but I hope I will get better as I play more."
Sharapova was scheduled to play in the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, but was forced out with the injury which also prevented her from playing in the Fed Cup tie against Spain and the Qatar Telecom German Open.

She had hoped to return at the recent Telecom Italia Masters Roma in Rome but pulled out again because she felt she was not quite ready.

Sharapova will now face either Italy's Romina Oprandi or Poland's Agnieskza Radwanska and is the 2.64 favourite in a developing outright winner market to win the two-year-old Tier III tournament.

Venus Williams, who won the event in its inaugural year in 2005, is the overwhelming 1.11 favourite to beat her unfancied second-round opponent Aravane Rezai (9.2) in the match odds market.

The big-hitting American is next best in the outright winner market on 4.1, while Switzerland's Patty Schnyder, a semi-finalist at the recent Rome Masters, has also come in for support at 4.6.

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