Dulko silences Sharapova to restore peace

By Pritha Sarkar

LONDON (Reuters) - Wimbledon saw, and heard, Maria Sharapova for the last time this year after the shrieking Russian was booted out by Gisela Dulko following a nail-biting second round encounter on Wednesday.

The 2004 champion might be on the comeback trail following a nine-month injury layoff but she was still expected to stifle the Argentine's challenge having lost only three games in total in their previous two encounters.

Yet it was Dulko who eventually sucked the life-blood out of the Russian -- and restored some calm to Wimbledon -- with her scorching 6-2 3-6 6-4 victory.

"The losses are tough. More here than at any other tournament," 22-year-old Sharapova told reporters after losing in the second round for the second successive year.

"It puts some perspective into your life. It's all right. I have many more years ahead of me. It's just unfortunate the timing of my comeback and this only being the fourth tournament.

"But that's just the way it is," she added.

Sharapova would perhaps be best to wipe out memories of her 2009 trip to London but if she ever chooses to read up on her performance it makes for grim reading.

In two matches she piled up 50 unforced errors and 14 double faults -- not the kind of statistics a former world number one would be proud of.