Maria Sharapova’s ‘home away from home’ favouring her cause at Miami – Tennis News
Former world number one, Maria Sharapova, has made it to the final of the Sony Ericsson Open after defeating the sixth ranked Dane, Caroline Wozniacki, in a taxing three-setter. Ironically, she is yet to win at Miami. It will be
her fourth shot at the title on Saturday and she will take on the likes of the fourth ranked Pole, Agnieszka Radwanska.
The Russian has been practicing her tennis at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy that is situated in Florida. She has been going there since she was nine years old. Her family use drive around for almost four hours from their
living state, Bradenton, to take her to the training academy in Florida. They did that for almost two-three years until they actually shifted themselves in Florida to lessen the travelling fatigue for their daughter.
This place is just like a 'home away from home'. She has played tennis in Florida all her life so the home-court advantage is probably playing its part in her emphatic run of play in the Sony Ericsson Open.
Sharapova made it to the finals in Miami in 2005, 2006 and 2011 but couldn’t sneak a triumph in either of the encounters. Answering to a question about her misfortune in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open throughout her career,
she stated, “I’m happy that I gave myself another chance. It would just be meaningful to me because I have come to this tournament for so many years, even since I was a young girl.”
She became the tennis icon at the age of 17 when she first won her Grand Slam title at Wimbledon by upsetting the-then reigning world number one, Serena Williams, in the final. Since then she has been dreaming of bagging the title
at Miami but her wish is still to be granted. May be this time she is lucky to grab the title. She is the hot favourite for the championship especially after a quarter-final exit for the reigning world number one, Victoria Azarenka.
The current problem for Sharapova is that she is just not able to capitalize on the hefty starts she makes in the matches; 25 unforced errors that forced her to lose the opening set are just unacceptable for a player of her class.
The total number of unforced errors rose to 46 at the end of the match that needs to be looked upon. If she manages to reduce them, she is the crowd favourite and deserving player to win the title.
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