Maria Sharapova praises Victoria Azarenka after her Grand Slam loss - Tennis News
Russian number one, Maria Sharapova, praised her conqueror, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, after her defeat in the title-round at the Australian Open 2012 on Saturday. She suffered a 3-6, 0-6 shock against the third seeded Belarusian in the final showdown at this first Grand Slam event taking place on the hard courts in Melbourne, Australia.
In a battle for the new world number one, Sharapova crashed out with a bagel in 82 minutes. She lost the last nine games successively after displaying dismal performance at the Rod Laver Arena. The Russian clobbered a lower first serve share and clicked 16 out of 30 points on it. She dusted away two out of seven breakpoints she encountered and capitalised on one out of four break chances. Sharapova ultimately ended the match with 38 points as opposed to the Azarenka’s 61.
“It's frustrating (to lose in the final), but I have a pretty good head on my shoulders in terms of having a good perspective on sport and life,” Sharapova said.
Sharapova failed to reclaim her top rank at the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings but her spectacular skills were praised by everyone. She suffered shoulder injury few years ago and was never fully recovered until the start of 2011 season. She made a final showdown at the Wimbledon Champions last year but lost to the rising star, Petra Kvitova, in straight sets.
The Gorgeous Russian recreated her 2005 magic at the Melbourne Park and trounced big stars en route to finals. She also avenged her loss against the Czech number one, Kvitova, in the final four before setting up this clash. Despite suffering a brutal straight set defeat, Sharapova paid tribute to the Belarusian number one.
“She did everything better than I did today … I was always the one running around like a rabbit, you know, trying to play catch-up all the time. She was a step quicker. Her shot was bigger. First shot was bigger,” Sharapova praised her rival. “She's a top player. She won the event (in Sydney) before this, so she's playing with a lot of confidence, as well. I think that really showed.”
The 24-year-old is eying for a great season and declared, “I don't regret the work that I put in at all. Getting to this stage is great for me …That's why I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.”
Last year saw Sharapova grabbing titles at the Rome and Cincinnati WTA Premier events. She also made final showings at the Miami WTA event and the Wimbledon Championships.
Tags: