TC Plus Match of the Day: Sharapova vs. Kerber, Mallorca

Maria Sharapova (WTA No. 85, UTR No. 25) vs. Angelique Kerber (WTA No. 6, UTR No. 11)

Sharapova quickly shook off the rust in her 2019 grass-court debut, winning her first match on the surface since 2015 over Viktoria Kuzmova. Looking to build off that success, she will face a difficult task on Thursday against defending Wimbledon champion Kerber.

Their head to head record is split at four wins apiece, but the German claimed the last three victories, including their latest meeting on grass at the All England Club in 2014.

Sharapova will need her shoulder at full strength to have any chance against the rock-solid ground game of Kerber. It will be a tough day at the office if Sharapova is unable to earn free points on her serve; she will need every one she can get. Kerber will look to play her normal game by exposing the movement of Sharapova, pulling her from corner to corner with her pinpoint accuracy from the baseline.

Surprisingly, the oddsmakers list Kerber as a slight favorite to win, despite the fact Sharapova has played just nine total matches on the season and has been battling a shoulder injury all year. In the end, Kerber should prove too tough for the match-deprived Sharapova in a clash between two Grand Slam champions.