NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova’s stomach ache turned out to be nothing more than that.
That lopsided loss she suffered at the Olympics -- well, that may have only been a false alarm, as well.
Playing her first match since a blowout loss to Serena Williams in London and a stomach virus that forced her out of two tuneup tournaments, Sharapova returned to tennis in fine fashion Monday at the U.S. Open.
The third-seeded Russian came back from a three-week break and defeated Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 6-2 in a stress-free, 67-minute first-round match at blustery Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Her victory in front of the half-filled stadium was her first match since a 6-0, 6-1 loss to Williams at the London Games in a gold-medal showdown that looked and felt more like one of these first-round wipeouts Sharapova usually inflicts.
Turns out, Sharapova was dealing with some stomach pain then, which only got worse a few weeks later. She went to the doctor for a series of tests, including an ultrasound to see if she was pregnant. The test turned up negative.
"Just because of the pain I was having, it was really weird," Sharapova said. "They told me I was fine, not pregnant. Then, I’m like, ‘Can I get my money back?"’
It has been an eventful summer for one of tennis’ biggest stars.
After serving as the flagbearer for Russia, then finishing as the silver medalist at the Olympics at
But the Olympics took a lot out of Sharapova, and when she arrived in Canada, she got knocked down by a stomach ache so bad that she went to the doctor.
It turned out to be a virus -- her body’s way of telling her to take it easy, she said, so she withdrew from the events and took a few weeks off.
"It was a nice break in a way, but after so many weeks of practicing, you’re just eager to get back on the court," she said.
She looked eager to get off the court, as well, showing very few signs of rust against her 88th-ranked opponent.
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