Mladenovic on facing Sharapova: 'I'm expecting a tough one'

Thirteen months after Kristina Mladenovic ended Maria Sharapova's return to competition with a thrilling three-set win at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the pair will meet again at the Mutua Madrid Open - and the Frenchwoman thinks it could be another classic.

MADRID, Spain - Last year, Kristina Mladenovic and Maria Sharapova put on one of 2017's classic contests in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix - a taut, nail-biting comeback win for the Frenchwoman 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Thirteen months on, the pair will meet in the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open for the first time since then - and, speaking after her second-round defeat of Zhang Shuai, Mladenovic was under no illusions about how tough the third instalment of this rivalry will be.

"Obviously I'm expecting a tough one - pretty much similar to Stüttgart, because that was indoors and also playing fast," she mused.

Tactically, the World No.22 is once again expecting a stylistic contrast. "I'm sure she will try to shorten the points with me and not get into too many rallies and physical stuff, because she must know that I prefer this game style than her," she remarked. "I'm sure she will try to be very aggressive on serve and return, no matter if it's a winner or an unforced error, so I don't get into my clay-court rhythm."
However, Mladenovic is unfazed - and feels she has rediscovered some of her best form this week in a tournament where she is the defending finalist. "I'm happy with the way I've been playing to get to this stage, so I'm just gonna enjoy and try to repeat what I've been doing the last days," she shrugged.

Since their Stüttgart encounter, both players have experienced something of a rollercoaster in their respective fortunes, with Mladenovic riding the momentum to her best ever clay season - but going on to endure a 15-match losing streak that she only snapped in St. Petersburg in February.
Sharapova could have been alluding to this following her second-round win this week over Irina-Camelia Begu: "I do consistently watch the game," the Russian noted. "I enjoy watching matches. I enjoy seeing how players go from a winning streak to having a tougher moment, to seeing how they come back. That's kind of the flow and evolution of this game anyway."
But the World No.52 might have been referring to her own disappointing form in 2018, having only snapped a four-match losing streak of her own this week. As Mladenovic remarked: "Even though she didn't win a few matches in a few tournaments in a row lately, she came back here strong."
Madrid has historically been a kind location to both players, with Sharapova lifting the trophy in 2014, and the French No.2 is also aware of the role conditions will play. "I'm sure she likes to play in this place with a little bit of altitude," she said. "She knows how to win here as she did in the past."

If both players can bring the kind of form they have found both in Madrid and against each other before, the stage could be set for another magnificent contest.