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No better time for Maria Sharapova to break her Roland Garros duck
The stunning Russian and former world No.1 will attempt to complete a career Grand Slam at the French Open. But can she triumph on the clay?
by James Mortimer on 09 May 2008
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Maria Sharapova's baseline power has given her a solid record at the French Open, with five attempts at the most elusive of all the Grand Slams. After a first-round exit aberration in 2003, she has twice made the quarter-finals, and last year made the semi-final, being defeated by Ana Ivanovic. She has an impressive 19-5 record on the clay of Paris, but will have it all to do to beat four-time champion Justine Henin.Sharapova has the momentum behind her to do so, winning the first Grand Slam of the year with an impressive victory in Melbourne. She has won three titles in 2008 so far, but her most significant title coming towards France was less than a month ago when she claimed her first clay-court title of her career at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. She defeated Dominika Cibulkova 7-6(7), 6-3 – she was, however, the top seed in the tournament.The Russian glamour girl is a power player, preferring to volley from the baseline, and having a consistent weapon with her double-handed backhands and offensive serves. A lot of this comes from her considerable height, which is coupled with remarkable agility for a statuesque woman. Often playing her shots on the run, she is particularly dangerous on fast-playing courts, with a solid record on grass and rebound ace style venues. 'The Russian star is an impressive sight, both to watch and to look at...'This is her weakness as such on clay. Not being a defensive-minded player, the slowing down of the ball and the higher bounce leads her to be vulnerable on the volley. She has vocally stated that she is trying to add to her all-power game, as complete players with power games can capitalise on this - particularly the Williams sisters.Winning the clay-master title at Paris may be as much mental as it is a physical challenge, with Maria describing herself as “a cow on ice”. Sharapova turned professional in 2001, playing in the Slams but not progressing beyond the fourth round on any tournament. She won two minor titles but impressed enough to be name WTA newcomer of the year.Leading up to 2004, the young Russian became a regular competitor at Tier One and Masters events, reaching the latter stages of numerous tournaments. It was then that she reached the quarter-finals of Roland Garros, then her best-ever Grand Slam result.
Comments (6)
by tyrone lopez on May 09, 2008
henin lost to dinara safina yesterday in berlin..which means henin is now very vulnerable on clay...
by alizay khan on May 09, 2008
i believe maria has it in her but at the same time i believe Serena is in top form....i prefer her over Henin......maria may reach the semis or even the final as long as she doesnt meet women whose surnames are williams.....although im a die hard Maria fan....but i do realise her limitations....well i still am routing for her..GO MARIA!!! :D
by jj on May 09, 2008
maria will win RG this year :)
by Jonathan on May 12, 2008
As the title suggests, this year Roland Garros it virtually up for grabs. No front-runner has emerged in the clay season. My ranks have changed after Berlin, so here they are: 1) Serena Williams: Despite falling in the quarters surprisingly to a resurgent Safina, Serena still boasts a 21-2 record and is the only powerhouse on tour at the moment with the consistency and tools to stop the Russian Beauty, who comes behind at... 2) Maria Sharapova: This year has been a phenomenon for her, definitely her best. She's a sparkling 24-2, and won her first clay court tournament in Amelia. What many fail to recognize is the fact she outlasted 2 clay-court specialists, both in 3 setters, with one over 3 hours long. It's shown the great improvement of her game on clay, though Serena has still continued her mastery over her unless she can find her answers. 3) Henin is still ranked high only because she is the best clay court player this millenium, but probably not this year. The No.1 looks nothing like the juggernaut she was last year; perhaps she is suffering a burnout from playing so much? She's also pulled out of Rome, which means that she will go into Paris with unusually low preparation as normal, and will have to pull out her old form in what would be her greatest triumph at a Grand Slam if she were to do so, considering her rocky season.
by Jennifer on May 15, 2008
I agree that FO is up for grabs but not for Maria. She plays horrific on clay. As a matter of fact she barely beat her second round opponent in Rome making 13 unforced errors. She has not given me any indication that she will win FO. As a matter of fact she had better hope someone takes Serena out for her for the upcoming slams. Maria cannot win over Serena on any surface any more. Perhaps Maria can hold the crown if Wms sisters retire.
Actually it was 13 double faults. It sounded better to say 13 unforced errors; darn, I should have left it the way I wrote it initially!
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