Maria Sharapova unsure if she will return to Australian Open after early exit
(The Guardian Sports News)

Russian goes out to Donna Vekic in opening roundSharapova world ranking projected to drop to No 366It says much about a player´s decline when their early departure from a big tournament goes largely unnoticed in the wider context but remains a centrepiece of the media circus. So it was for Maria Sharapova, whose lingering celebrity still commands a place on the main stage, but yet again was not matched by her performance here.Invited into the draw with a wildcard, the 32-year-old Russian thanked the tournament director, Craig Tiley, for his generosity, after flitting past us in an hour and 21 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, helpless to stop 19th seed Donna Vekic winning 6-3, 6-4. Continue reading...