PARIS — It could have been historic. It should have been momentous. It would have been shocking if Maria Sharapova, the former No. 1 and the No. 7 seed at the French Open, had lost to Caroline Garcia, an unknown, untested teen ranked No. 188.
After all, on a mean gray day, Aranxta Rus — the No. 114 20-year old from the Netherlands — took No. 2 seed Kim Clijsters to the nether lands. Now there were more blustery winds of change. Garcia was feeling it. In the zone, smacking forehands, hitting the corners, unfazed by the moment, the site and her stylish, iconic foe. As if scripted, the olive-skinned French kid from Lyons was in total control, commanding the court with a powerful ease that shocked. Sharapova, who once said she felt like a cow on ice while playing on the terre battue of Roland Garros, did look, dare we say, a bit bovine. Frustrated and serving poorly, one of the smartest players on the tour had no answers: all was futile.
With Sharapova down 6-3, 4-1 and just two games from defeat, it seemed like the ‘09 U.S. Open all over again when the Russian lost to American Melanie Oudin (like Garcia, a homestanding 17-year-old being encouraged by a zealous, nationalistic crowd.) Or maybe it was more like Wimbledon ‘08, when Sharapova lost to Russian teen Alla Kudryavtseva, ranked No. 154.
But there’s a reason Sharapova has collected $15 million in career prize money compared to Garcia's $57,000. And yes, Sharapova has won Wimbledon and the U.S. and Aussie Opens, compared with Garcia, who was playing her second Slam. Plus, Sharapova is fierce. As fierce as Serena Williams or the now-retired Justine Henin. Let the debate begin. She may be elegant and grand. She may be compared to Audrey Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman. But Sharpova is Siberian tough. Don't let those lanky looks fool you, she fights with grit — just listen.
And on this gusty day, she refused to be blown away. Taking advantages of the inevitable dip in Garcia's level, Sharpova's imposed her considerable, seen-everything/done-everything will to reel off 11 straight games to score a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 whiplash win. In the end, the dazed Garcia didn't know what hit her. Had the French teen, like Oudin at the U.S. Open, been able to close the deal when she was up 4-1 in the second set, this day would have been shocking, this day would have been historic, this day would have…
