The US Open began on Monday in N.Y., and Maria Sharapova's win over No. 2 seed Simona Halep had the "electricity of a finals match -- a packed house under the open roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium," according to Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN.com. Sharapova received a wild card and played in her first grand slam "since returning from her doping ban." She came into the US Open "viewed by some as sort of a villain." However, she left Monday night with a "standing ovation and the hope of more late-summer excitement" (ESPN.com, 8/28). In Toronto, Rosie Dimanno wrote organizers "risked public denunciation for investing Sharapova with a free pass." But "hey, it's New York." They "do Slams differently in the Big Apple, raucously and under the lights" (TORONTO STAR, 8/29).
BACK IN BLACK: The AP reported Sharapova entered the court on Monday dressed all in black, the color "worn by villains in old Western movies." It "might have been a sponsor’s suggestion or her take on standard evening attire" for a night out in N.Y., but the dark tone "seemed appropriate given the circumstances." Since the five-time grand slam champion was suspended last year, she has been "cast in the villain's role by some tennis fans and some of her peers." Because of her ban and some injuries, Sharapova had played "only one hard-court match this year" before she faced Halep. She had not played a grand slam match since the 2016 Australian Open and had not played at the US Open since '14. Sharapova said, "It almost seemed like I had no right to win the match today. But somehow, I did" (AP, 8/29).
RAISE THE ROOF: This marks the second year of the new roof being used at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and U.S. Tennis Association President Katrina Adams said that the organization is "just one year away from completing the transformation" of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. She said that Louis Armstrong Stadium will be unveiled next year, "also with a roof for uninterrupted play" ("US Open," ESPN, 8/28).
