WIMBLEDON — Maria Sharapova lost her first opening-round match at Wimbledon of her career on Tuesday, losing to fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-4.
Entering into this year’s tournament, Sharapova was 13-0 in opening matches at the All England Club and was riding a 10-match winning streak against Russian players.
The last time she lost in the opening round of a major was in 2010, when she was ousted by Maria Kirilenko at the Australian Open.
“I definitely had several chances in the match,” Sharapova said in a news conference after her defeat. “Although not playing my best tennis, I opened up a few doors and was a couple points away from winning this match.
“Sometimes you put yourself in a better or winning position, and you don’t finish through. That was the case today.”
Diatchenko took a medical timeout with the match tied at 3-3 in the opening set before No. 24 seed Sharapova, the 2004 champion in London, clinched the tiebreak with a powerful serve.
Victory looked a foregone conclusion for Sharapova, 31, when she broke serve early in the second set, but Diatchenko rallied with three successive games to level the scores on Court No. 2.
Both players traded breaks twice in the deciding set, with Sharapova having the opportunity to serve for the match, but it was Diatchenko who held her nerve, wrapping up a famous victory in just over three hours when Sharapova double-faulted.
“That’s part of the game, is to feel moments of tension, to feel there’s something on the line,” Sharapova said about having a chance to wrap up victory on her own serve. “That’s just human. No matter how many times you’ve done it, no matter what court you’re playing on, Centre Court, backcourt, just the moment, the crowd, Wimbledon, another tournament, you always want to do your best.
“Of course you feel it. But I love that feeling. That’s one of the reasons I play.”
Diatchenko next faces American Sofia Kenin for a place in the third round.