Maria Yuryevna Sharapova, a look at her performance this year
Born on April 19, 1987 in the city of Nyagan, Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a professional tennis player from Russia. The twenty-three year old Sharapova currently ranked number fifteen in the world by the Women Tennis Association.
Maria has so far captured a total of twenty-two WTA single trophies, three doubles and three major crown, including the Australian Open in 2008, Wimbledon in 2004 and United States Open back in 2006.
Sharapova was also a finalist at the Australian Open tennis tournament back in 2007. The right hander has been ranked as the number one tennis player in the world on four different occasions.
As far as her performance in 2010 is concerned, Sharapova started the season by playing at the Australian Open tennis tournament as her first competition of the year. The Russian, however, couldn’t even win the opening round match as she was defeated by
Maria Kirilenko in straight sets. Immediately coming back, the twenty-three year old Russian participated in the Cellular South Cup, capturing her twenty-first WTA trophy and very first of the season.
The Bradenton resident next contested at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament where she was knocked out in the third round at the hands of Zheng Jie in straight sets. At the 2010 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open tennis competition, the right-handed Maria was
bundled out in the fourth round by Lucie Safarova.
The Russian continued her Roland Garros preparation by next competing at the Internationaux de Strabourg with her first trophy on red clay and twenty-second overall. Her short clay season ended with a third round loss by four-time winner, Justine Henin at
the French Open tennis championship. It was Sharapova’s seventh defeat to the Belgian in ten career encounters.
The 1.88 meter tall Maria started her preparations for Wimbledon by reaching the final of the AEGON Classic tennis tournament on the fourth occasion since 2007, losing there at the hands of Li Na.
Seeded sixteen at the grass court Grand Slam tournament, the professional tennis player from Russia advanced into the fourth round before falling to the world number one and ultimate winner, Serena Williams, despite winning a total of two set points in the
first set.
The Nyagan born Russian began her United States Open series campaign by playing in Stanford. She triumphed in her first two clashes versus Jie Zheng and Olga Govortsova in two sets each. In the quarters, Sharapova got the better of her world number six tennis
foe, Elena Dementieva in a total of three sets.
The match concluded in a time period two hours and forty-seven minutes. She next defeated Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the title battle where Sharapova was eventually lost by Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.
At the 2010 United States Open tennis tournament, Sharapova brushed aside Jarmila Groth from Australia in her opening round clash. The final match score was 4–6, 6–3, 6–1. The Russian met Viet Benesova in the second round and triumphed comfortably in two
sets 6–1, 6–2. Sharapova dismissed Beatrice Capra, a wild card entrant from America in her third round match in straight sets.
The twentythree year old sizzling beauty next faced the top seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the round of sixteen, and went on to lose in a total of two sets 3–6, 4–6. Sharapova smashed more winners than the top seeded Dane, however, committed more unforced
errors which resulted in her first ever defeat at the hands of Dane.
The loss also marked the first year where Maria did not go past the round of sixteen in any of the four major events since her Grand Slam debut back in 2003.
Sharapova’s next scheduled championship is the Toray Pan Pacific Open, which is going to start in Japan from Sunday. The Russian is expected to successfully defend her title in Japan.
Tags: