NEW YORK — Christina McHale is a shy 17-year-old high school student from Englewood Cliffs, N.J. playing in her first U.S. Open.
She has only seen Maria Sharapova from a distance, in the women’s locker room and in the player’s lounge.
Now, after beating Polona Hercog of Slovenia 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday, McHale, all 5 feet, 5 inches of her, will get to see the 6-2 Sharapova live and in person when they meet in the second round.
**Top seed Dinara Safina narrowly avoided becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the 1st round.
**Great story by Karen Crouse of the Times about the serving problems in women’s tennis manifested by players like Sharapova and Safina.
**Richard Williams told Dan Martin of the Post that Venus shouldn’t try and play today because of her knee injury.
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(Photo courtesy New York Times)
