UPSET: Here's How Maria Sharapova Just Got Knocked Out Of The US Open

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Maria Sharapova took an early exit from the U.S. Open this afternoon, losing to Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the third round.

We were watching live, and grabbed some great reaction shots from the most pivotal moments of the match.

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Maria Sharapova Survives First-Round Scare At The U.S. Open

Maria Sharapova beat Heather Watson today 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in what was shaping up to be a shocking upset in the first round of the U.S. Open.

Earlier:

Maria Sharapova just dropped the opening set to 19-year-old Brit Heather Watson, 6-3.

Watson has an early break in the second set as well, it's 1-0.

Huge upset brewing, stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE 4:25 p.m.: Sharapova is starting to assert herself. She leads the second set 4-1 after dropping the first game. Watson serving.

UPDATE 4:40 p.m.: Watson storms right back, it's 4-4. Great poise from the 19-year-old, she's two games from the upset. Sharapova serving.

UPDATE 4:50 p.m.: 5-5 after both players hold serve. More impressive toughness from Watson after staving off a set point. Sharapova serving.

UPDATE 5:05 p.m.: Sharapova breaks to take the set 7-5. You have to make Sharapova the favorite to win after fighting back like this, but Watson didn't crack at all in the second after some pressure-filled points. Here's the situation: 3-6, 7-5, Sharapova serving.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m.: 3-0 Sharapova with Watson serving. Is this the end of the line for Watson? She'll need to hold serve here to have a chance.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: Monster hold from Watson. She fends off multiple break points before Sharapova sprays one wide to give Watson the game. Still 3-1 Sharapova, Sharapova serving.

UPDATE 5:40 p.m.: 4-2 Sharapova after two holds of serve. Watson running out of chances to break back. Sarapova serving.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m.: 4-3 Sharapova as Watson gets the break. Really interesting stuff here. Sharapova is fighting herself, committing one unforced error after another. On the other side, Watson is showing no nerves whatsoever.

UPDATE 5:50 p.m.: Ouch, Watson is quickly broken and Sharapova is serving for the match, 5-3.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m.: It's over. Sharapova wins 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. It was ugly, but she survived. Really strong stuff from Watson though.

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Tennis Needs To Tell Maria Sharapova To Shut Up

Well, Maria Sharapova just won her first-round US Open match--after an impressive three-set struggle from 19-year-old Brit Heather Watson.

Watson was the picture of quiet and manners the whole match.

Sharapova, meanwhile, was her usual shrieking, screaming, fist-pumping self.

There's nothing long with the fist-pumping. (It's a bit cliche, but whatever).

But there's everything wrong with the shrieking and screaming.

As anyone who has ever seen Sharapova play knows, we're not talking about the occasional whoop after winning an important point. We're talking about full-bodied shrieks and screams after EVERY STROKE IN EVERY POINT.

Shrieks that resound long after the ball leaves Sharapova's racket.

Shrieks that have no utility other than to try to send a message to the woman on the other side of the net that Sharapova has just hit the living shit out of the ball.

According to US Davis Cup coach Patrick McEnroe, who weighed in on this issue after the match, Sharapova doesn't scream like this in practice. That means her shrieking is not a weird, uncontrollable physical defect. That means that Sharapova is doing it intentionally (if unconsciously by now) and that she could stop doing it if someone with some authority told her to stop doing it.

That authority should be the USTA.

Sharapova's screaming is just a bogus physical intimidation technique--like a howl with a karate chop--and it should be banned. And Sharapova shouldn't be singled out here: All the other screamers and shriekers on the tour, of which there are many, should be muzzled, too.

The penalty for shrieking should be the same penalty as for any other unsportsmanlike conduct in tennis: WARNING, POINT PENALTY, FORFEIT.

If the USTA implemented that rule and stuck to it, Sharapova would finally shut up.

And watching her matches would be vastly more fun as a result.

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