Maria Sharapova’s title drought continues this season – Tennis Special
Winner of millions of hearts, Russian tennis beauty, Maria Sharapova, is still struggling to win a championship title this year. The 24-year-old diva lost her third consecutive WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) final of the current year on Friday night in Miami. She was outplayed by the reigning world number four, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, to maintain her title drought of the season.
Currently holding the second spot in the WTA World Rankings, Sharapova made one of the most amazing comebacks from an injury layoff this year and has stunned every tennis lover with her breathtaking performances. The Russian has already played four WTA events this year and has finished as the runner-up in three tournaments. Coming out of injury and making such an impact on the professional circuit is certainly an achievement of sorts for the Russian diva but her amazing runs have not been fruitful.
Former world number one, Sharapova, is still battling hard with her physical fitness but her love for the sport within her is still making her play the professional circuit. She has 24 championship titles under her belt, including the three all-prestigious Grand Slam trophies but her title drought this season is heartbreaking for her fans.
The 24-year-old Russian made her comeback to the WTA Tour in the year’s first Grand Slam event, the Australian Open in January. She was seeded at number four but her return to the tennis courts after a ling injury layoff was something which pushed her relatively away from the favourites list for the title. Sharapova displayed her vintage class and beat all the odds to reach the final of the Grand Slam Down Under to face the Belarusian tennis ace, Victoria Azarenka. The Russian couldn’t hold on to the fury of Azarenka and was brutally dealt with a defeat in straight sets to finish her voyage in Melbourne in dismay.
She booked a rematch of the Australian Open against the Belarusian in the first WTA Premier-level event of the year at Indian Wells. The reigning world number one, Azarenka, manhandled Sharapova once again in straight sets to deprive her of her second title shot of the season.
Sharapova kept her spirits high and had a booming start to the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. With Azarenka knocked out in the quarter-final round, the Russian tennis ace was the hot favourite for the winning the tournament but it was the sheer brilliance of Radwanska which denied her of lifting a championship trophy for the third consecutive time.
“It’s always tough, because you do a really good job to get there,” Sharapova said after losing the Miami Masters final. “It’s obviously always the toughest round.”
The Russian is eyeing for clinching the Roland Garros French Open and the Olympic glory but a couple titles in her bag before her mega campaign will be good to boost her confidence. The abilities of the former grand Slam winner are not doubted by anyone but her trend of getting choked out in the final of the events is something the tennis fans don’t want to see anymore.
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