The former world number one and five-time major winner pulled off a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-1 win over Timea Babos of Hungary.
It was her second three-set match, having seen off world number two Simona Halep on Monday in what was her first Grand Slam match since being hit with a 15-month doping ban.
“I think with the way that I played Monday night, I don’t think there are any more questions,” said the 30-year-old when pushed on whether her spot in the tournament was justified.
The 2006 champion, and guaranteed arena-filler, needed a wild card to play in New York after her prolonged absence from the sport had left her with a world ranking of 146.
It was a decision widely criticized with many insisting she should work her way back into the main draw and not be given a helping hand.
“I definitely feel the respect from the athletes,” Sharapova insisted.
“Certainly when I play against them, in terms of the level they play. That’s important to me. I think from a respect level, when you’re able to respect your rivals and compatriots, that’s really important, and I feel that.”
“I’ve also had an amazing reaction from fans since I’ve been back, and that’s been very special. I felt it while I was away. I felt it in a real presence since I’ve been back. It’s a very special feeling.”
But the questions over the ban, imposed when she tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in 2016, still keep coming.
After her win over Babos, she was asked how many times she had been drug-tested this year.
“At the end of the year, the ITF usually produce those numbers,” she fired back.
Sharapova’s return was still splitting fellow players on Wednesday even as her marketing appeal was evident in playing back-to-back matches on the showpiece Arthur Ashe stadium.
Fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, again lobbied for her compatriot.
“I’ve been always supportive to Maria. For her it has been tough. She paid for her mistake,” said Kuznetsova.
“It’s great to have her back because tennis misses her. Tournament directors, people around, they love to watch her play. You can see after her first match how the crowd welcomed her back.”
However, Coco Vandeweghe said the wild card should have gone to an American player.
“Wild cards are appointed by the USTA. I can’t say I agree. I wish it was an American instead, selfishly, because it is a USA tournament,” she said.
Sharapova will look to reach the last 16 on Friday when she faces Russian-born American Sofia Kenin, the world 139.
Win or lose, 18-year-old Kenin will be none the richer as her amateur status means she cannot claim the $144,000 prize money at the risk of losing a place on her college squad.
Wozniacki slams ‘unacceptable’ Sharapova favouritism
New York: Caroline Wozniacki slammed as “unacceptable and questionable” the US Open decision to give Maria Sharapova back-to-back matches on the showpiece Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Russian’s first Grand Slam appearance since serving a doping ban.
Wozniacki was furious that she was sent to play her second-round match on an outside court while five-time major winner Sharapova was scheduled twice on the tournament’s biggest arena.
“I think putting out a schedule where the fifth seed is playing on Court 5, fifth match on after 11 p.m. — I think that’s unacceptable,” said Wozniacki who, like Sharapova, is a former world number one but who has never won a Grand Slam title.
“When you look on Center Court, I understand completely the business side of things, but someone who comes back from a drugs sentence — performance enhancing drugs — and all of a sudden gets to play every single match on Center Court, I think that’s a questionable thing to do.
“I think it doesn’t set a good example and I think someone who has fought their way back from injury and is five in the world deserves to play on a bigger court than Court 5.
“Finally they moved us to Court 17, which is a really nice court actually and we had great atmosphere out there but I think they should probably look into what they need to do in the future.”
Wozniacki, the 2009 and 2014 runner-up in New York, became the fourth top-10 woman to exit the US Open on Wednesday night when she lost 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 to Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova.