If there is a silver lining for Maria Sharapova – and she probably will not see it this way yet – then her surprise exit from the French Open on Monday may prove to be of benefit come Wimbledon.
Having reached the final at Roland Garros three years in a row, winning the title in 2012 and 2014, the defending champion fell in the fourth round, beaten 7-6, 6-4 by the Czech, Lucie Safarova. Struggling with a cold that bugged her from day one, Sharapova never managed to impose her game on the left-handed Safarova, whose wristy forehands wreaked havoc and who held her nerve to clinch arguably the biggest victory of her career.