Maria Sharapova survived a sticky start to move into the second round of the WTA Madrid Open on Monday with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania.
The Russian, who won the French Open on clay last year, brought a 16-match winning streak on the surface into Madrid and was strongly favoured to coast past a player who has been dogged by knee injuries.
But she struggled at times in the first set before finding her range in the second.
It had all been about adjusting to the dirt surface and the particular demands of playing in Madrid, Sharapova said.
“I feel like in the last week I’ve really had to adjust to the different circumstances and the environment a bit,” she said.
“When I got here it was really cold and the ball and the court were really heavy.