At the 2017 US Open, Maria Sharapova of Russia defeated Simona Halep of Romania, currently World No. 2, in a thrilling three set match of 6-4 4-6 6-3.
This was the seventh match of the two tennis players and Sharapova maintained an undefeated record against the Romanian. The first round match was witnessed by a sold-out crowd in New York since this match was one of the most highly-anticipated matches in the 2017 US Open season.
For Sharapova, this was her first grand slam appearance since she was banned from playing professional tennis last 2015 due to the alleged doping issue. However, the long span of time of not playing a grand slam event haven't derailed her chances of winning a major anytime soon. Also, this is Sharapova's 21st consecutive first round win in any grand slam.
For Halep, this loss will greatly affect her chance of attaining the WTA World No. 1 ranking since she was considered as one of the most likely player to reach the summit by the end of the tournament.
