Tennis Update: Maria Sharapova requests wildcard for 2011 Sydney event
The second event of the 2011 season may have another star added to it, as rumours hit the media today that former world number one Maria Sharapova may be coming to Sydney. The most photographed Russian athlete requested a wildcard
today for the 2011 Medibank International Sydney.
Should she choose to play at the event, this will be the Russian’s first appearance at Sydney. Talking about her participation at the event, tournament director Craig Watson said, “I received a message from Maria’s agent asking
if a wild card could be held for her if she decides to play the Medibank International Sydney. I would love to see her in the draw and so would her legion of fans here in Sydney. Maria is certainly one of the most popular players in the world, not just in
tennis but in all of women’s sport. Russian women players have performed incredibly well at the Medibank International Sydney in the past and I believe the court surface and facilities will be of great benefit to her as she prepares for the Australian Open.”
A three-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova came back from a career ending shoulder injury to come back into the top rankings. She slipped out of the top 100 in 2009, recovering from the surgery on her shoulder.
Ending 2010 ranked eighteenth in the world, Sharapova won two WTA titles in the year. Exiting the Australian Open in the first round, Sharapova bounced back in the Cellular South Cup to clinch her first title of the year. She then
made several first round exits in about a dozen tournaments. Her next title victory came in May when she won her first title on clay winning it at Strasbourg. Sharapova also made a final appearance at the 2010 AEGON Classic for the fourth straight year, losing
to Li Na in straight sets. She then made a final appearance at Stanford losing to then world number 18 Victoria Azarenka. Her last final appearance of the year came at Cincinnati where she lost to the dynamic Kim Clijsters.
Sharapova will be adding a star to an already star-studded line up of Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Samantha Stosur and Clijsters.
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