Maria Sharapova wins Tianjin Open

CAIRO – 15 October 2017: Former world number one, Maria Sharapova, has won her first title since May 2015 after beating Aryna Sabalenka (7-5), (7-6), in the Tianjin Open final.

The 30-year-old Russian played her seventh event since she returned to the tour in April due to a 15-month drug ban.

Sharapova was denied a wildcard for the French Open, missed Wimbledon through injury and reached the US Open’s fourth round as a wildcard before losing to Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

Sharapova won her first title since the Italian open two years and five months ago. The Russian, who began the week ranked 86th in the world, received a wildcard for the event in China. After this title Sharapova moved up to number 57 in the world rankings.