It wasn't pretty. It wasn't clean. But Maria Sharapova is back in tennis.
After accepting a controversial wild-card nod from the United States Tennis Association, Sharapova defeated No. 2 seed Simona Halep 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. It was Sharapova's first match in 19 months, and it showed. She made her share of errors, but she ultimately came out on top after two hours and 45 minutes.
Sharapova was suspended for 15 months in 2016 after testing positive for a banned substance. She was reinstated in April.
Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion with all four major titles to her credit, had received nine wild-card nods leading up to the Open, but this was her return to Grand Slam play.