Sharapova comforts Wang, then also retires in Shenzhen

Maria Sharapova had yet another mixed bag of a performance—this time to start of what should have been a clean slate of a season. In Sharapova's second match in Shenzhen, Chinese teenager Wang Xinyu played the match of her life for an hour. Wang found herself up a set, 7-6, but down 5-2 in the second stanza. Tall, leggy and lean at 6'0", she looked a lot like her opponent.

As fate would have it, cramps had set in for Wang – and against Sharapova, her childhood idol, of all people. (It could be said that Sharapova remains Wang's idol; at age 17, she's literally still a kid.)

Ever a ferocious but fair foe on court, Sharapova made her way to Wang's side as a WTA Tour trainer chatted and worked with the preternatural talent. The trio traded words in an early contender for the 2019 season's kindest moment.

"You played unbelievable," Sharapova told her idolee. "Okay? Unbelievable. Take care of yourself." She soon added, "If you play like that, you're going to be No. 1. Okay? I promise."

Confounded in part by her physical situation but probably also dumbstruck by the five-time major winner's presence and warm words in those moments, Wang was agog.

Sharapova won the match, of course, but curiously suffered her own retirement, that due to a thigh injury, whilst down 6-1, 4-2 in her follow-up match against eventual tournament champion Arya Sabalenka.

Her status for the impending Australian Open, the season's Grand Slam lead-off, remains in limbo.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.