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Sharapova back, winning

Looking relieved, Maria Sharapova went through her familiar routine of waving to the crowd and blowing kisses after winning her first match on her return from a 15-month doping ban on Wednesday.

The five-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 beat Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-3 in the opening round of the Porsche Grand Prix.

"It was the best feeling in the world," Sharapova said about stepping on court again for a professional match. "I have been waiting for this a long time."

Sharapova had earlier been given a lukewarm welcome by the 4,500 spectators, receiving a polite applause and some whistling when she entered the sold-out arena.

The Russian had not been afraid of the reception that awaited her, despite the fact that she entered the event on a much-debated wildcard.

Sharapova was not looking back in anger at her suspension, saying: "I am not an individual that's angry. I let things go pretty quickly."

Wednesday's match was the Russian's first since losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Australian Open, and her first match on clay in nearly two years.

Against the 36th-ranked Italian, Sharapova had a shaky start, conceding seven of the first eight points and dropping the opening two games within five minutes.

Apart from producing a string of unforced errors, Sharapova also showed flashes of her old self - with several outstanding returns and cross-court winners, mostly followed by her trademark fist pump.

Last year, Sharapova tested positive for the banned substance meldonium. She had her initial two-year ban reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that the Russian bore "less than significant fault" in the case and that she could not "be considered to be an intentional doper."

Sharapova had been taking meldonium for many years, but overlooked an announcement by the World Anti-Doping Agency that it added the drug to its banned list on Jan. 1, 2016.



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