Sharapova Needs To Recapture Tough Mindset
For former World no.1 Maria Sharapova, the equation isn’t quite right. After her loss to Serena Williams in the 2010 Wimbledon Open, Sharapova has to go back to the drawing board in order for her to map out the right formula for another Grand Slam title.
Testy Match Against Williams
In their fourth round match-up, both Sharapova and Williams picked up the pace in front of the Centre Court crowd, with Williams doing just enough to edge out the Russian contender via scores 7-6, 6-4.
After hammering the ball from end-to-end for an hour and a half, Sharapova finally succumbed to the pressure.
Despite having a record of 2-5 in career head-to-head clashes against the American, Sharapova had been the winner of their only previous grass court battle, the Wimbledon final of 2004.
And she was out to prove that she had what it takes to beat Serena Williams once again.
Early in the match, Sharapova made her intentions clear. She was matching the hard-hitting Williams blow-for-blow.
She actually had her chances during the first set tie-break, missing three set points before Williams took it by 11 points to nine.
Ace for ace, winner for winner, Sharapova appeared to have studied the Williams equation well.
Holding her own against Williams, Sharapova bravely hit back with a service break of her own. Perhaps unnerved by Sharapova’s defiance, Williams started to commit errors.
Williams displayed great winners and gross errors. It appeared as if Sharapova was finally getting to her. But appearances can be deceiving.
Just when Sharapova was in pursuit of power shots, Williams changed gears and upped the ante.
Continuing her flat-out attack, Serena surged ahead of Sharapova—even after the latter swept five of the next six points and stand at set point.
Sharapova simply failed to capitalize. And you cannot afford to do that against Serena Williams.
The moment that the American broke away with a 2-1 lead in the second set, Sharapova seemed at a loss on how to solve the Williams riddle.
The American pounced on the Russian’s uncertainty and ended up with the win.
The defending champion marched on into the last eight and went on to win her fourth career Wimbledon title (13th Grand Slam overall), while Sharapova was left to deal with the errors in her game.
Trial and error simply won’t do if you’re up against Williams.
Long Recovery Process
Sharapova, to be fair, is still far from her previous best. It is clear that she is still working her way back towards peak form after undergoing a shoulder surgery.
Her first match at this year’s Wimbledon was a convincing one actually, where she dominated Anastasia Pivovarova 6–1, 6–0.
In the second round, she beat Ioana Raluca Olaru 6–1, 6–4 to advance to the third round, where she defeated Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová 7–5, 6–3. Sharapova couldn’t do a thing wrong.
Indeed, everything seemed spot-on for Sharapova—until her match against Serena. Despite having three set points in the first set, Sharapova just couldn’t get past the power-hitting American.
Besides, there’s absolutely no shame in losing to the world’s best female tennis player.
Since her return, Sharapova showed that she is still a force to be reckoned with. An aggressive baseliner, with power, depth, and angles on her forehand and backhand, the Russian can defeat virtually anyone in the women’s division.
Perhaps, even Serena Williams down the line if she gets it right the next time around. Nevertheless, she has a lot of pondering to do if she expects another championship.
Someway, somehow, the solution will come to Sharapova. She has the skills and the ability of a true champion, but still needs to recapture her old mojo to achieve more success.
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