PARIS (AP) — The picture she posed for at the beginning foreshadowed a mismatch in the making: 6-foot-2 Maria Sharapova standing at the net, towering over an opponent nearly 10 inches smaller than her.

The pictures snapped at the end told a different story: Sharapova, down on her knees after a tougher-than-expected win, head buried in her hands, celebrating after completing a comeback three years in the making and cementing her name among the greatest in tennis.