Maria Sharapova Knows It Will Be A Tough 2013, But She Is Ready

Written by: Staff on 26th December 2012

WTA Championships Tennis tournament in Istanbul

Maria Sharapova Knows It Will Be A Tough 2013, But She Is Ready

epa03441599 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (L), Maria Sharapova of Russia (C) and Serena Williams of the US pose for media during the draw ceremony at the WTA Championships Tennis tournament in Istanbul, Turkey, 21 October 2012. WTA Championships will be held in Istanbul between 23-28 October. EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU |

Maria Sharapova has some ground to make up as she starts 2013 hopefully locked in a battle of elites at the Brisbane tournament also featuring rivals Serena Williams and No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.

Sharapova, second in the rankings behind Azarenka needs to lift her records against the elite competition if she is to challenge for the top WTA spot in the season about to begin.

The LA-based Russian has not beaten Williams since 2004 and lost four of six meetings against Azarenka, including the Australian Open a year ago. But hope is not lost for Sharapova, richest woman’s earner in all of sport.

“We both have many years ahead of us. I’m sure we will be facing against each other many more times in Grand Slams and other tournaments,” said Sharapova of the rivallry with the Belarus player. “She has the better record right now against me. Hopefully when I’m done I can change that around.”

Sharapova, 25, should be fit entering her Australian tennis summer after dealing with an ankle injury a year ago which forced her to withdraw from Brisbane. She capped a solid 2012 season by completing a career matched set of Grand Slam titles by winning the French Open.

“The grinding, the days, and the work that you put in and then the tournaments, everything kind of just happens. It’s a groove. It’s easy to forget where you came from and what you had to go through to get to that point,” Sharapova told Australian media. “But when I do think about it, I’m so lucky that I get to play this sport, that I love playing it still, and that I feel like I have a lot in me.

“I’m proud of my consistency, I’m proud that I’m moving in the right direction in terms of improving my game and where I see it,” she said.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Australian tennis news, Brisbane tennis news, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka, women tennsi news, Wta

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

NoleFansAus says:

December 26, 2012 at 7:23 am

RT @10sBalls_com: #MariaSharapova Knows It Will Be A Tough 2013, But She Is Ready: http://t.co/hPhSSuB3 #tennis @vika7 @SerenaWilliams
Tarzo1300 says:

December 27, 2012 at 2:13 am

RT @10sBalls_com: #MariaSharapova Knows It Will Be A Tough 2013, But She Is Ready: http://t.co/hPhSSuB3 #tennis @vika7 @SerenaWilliams