Maria Sharapova of Russia sits in a chair between games during her first round match against Camille Pin of France. Photo / Getty Images
MELBOURNE - Top seed Maria Sharapova held her nerve to secure a battling 6-3 4-6 9-7 victory over Frenchwoman Camille Pin in the first round of the Australian Open tennis championships today.
The Russian world No 2 raced into a 5-0 lead in the final set, only to
lose five games in a row to the world No 62 in sweltering conditions at Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova wasted three match points and Pin was just two points from victory when she served for the match at 7-6.
But the Russian dug deep and won the next three games to reach the second round.
Also today, Argentina's David Nalbandian stared into the abyss at two sets down before progressing when Janko Tipsarevic retired through heat exhaustion trailing 2-1 in the final set.
The eighth-seeded Nalbandian, a semifinalist last year, looked to be heading out as he struggled with a knee injury and an in-form world number 64, but he prevailed when the heat took its toll on the Serb with the score at 6-7 4-6 7-6 6-0 2-1 after three hours 19 minutes.
Nalbandian pulled out of the Kooyong Classic last week because of knee trouble and seemed to be in pain throughout the match, only looking a likely winner when he snatched the third set tiebreak.
Tipsarevic looked a spent force in the fourth set and finally called it a day when down a break at 2-1 in the fifth to hand the Argentine victory.
He faces Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti for a place in the third round.
- REUTERS
