INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP)—Maria Sharapova's return to the BNP Paribas Open for the first time in three years ended Wednesday in a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Naomi Osaka of Japan.
Sharapova's ranking of No. 41 in the world forced her to play a first-round match in the tournament she has won twice.
She trailed 4-1 in the first set before holding serve at 4-all. But Osaka held to go up 5-4 and broke Sharapova on a double fault to close out the set.
Ranked 44th in the world, Osaka took a 4-2 lead in the second set.