Sharapova returns to WTA Tour in doubles, lose

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INDIAN WELLS, Mar 13 (AP): Maria Sharapova made a tentative return from shoulder surgery Thursday, teaming with Elena Vesnina in a 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 loss to Ekaterina Makarova and Tatiana Poutchek in doubles play at the BNP Paribas Open.

It was the first match in seven months for Sharapova, who was forced off the WTA Tour last August by a torn rotator cuff and underwent surgery on her right shoulder two months later.

"It feels very good to be back," the 24-year-old Russian said. "I just wanted to test the shoulder out. I started training a couple of months ago. I just wanted to test it out in a match situation and get a little different scenery than the practice court and play in front of the crowd, so that was exciting. The main goal for here was just to get out there and be in that atmosphere again.

"The hump I've got to get through right now is to put together two weeks of coming out to the court and playing two or three sets every day, and doing that for seven or eight days in a row.