Brisbane 2014 Report: Sharapova and Sven are Clicking By Matt Cronin

Written by: Staff on 28th December 2013

Brisbane 2014 Report: Sharapova and Sven are Clicking By Matt Cronin

epa03979804 Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova during a practice prior of her exhibition match against Serbian Ana Ivanovic, in Bogota, Colombia, 06 December 2013. EPA/Mauricio Duenas Castaneda |

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FROM TENNISREPORTERS.NET’S MATT CRONIN IN BRISBANE: Four-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova hasn’t played match since early August and arrived in Brisbane with two new team members, coach Sven Groeneveld and physio Jerome Bianchi. Sharapova split with her coach of two and half years , Thomas Hogstedt, right after Wimbledon and then had a briefly experiment with former No. 1 Jimmy Connors, which didn’t work out for a few reasons, one because they had had a different idea of which style she should play, and two, because she was so upset that her shoulder was aching that she couldn’t listen to anyone.

Groeneveld has worked with a slew of top players including Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, and Andy Murray, among others. The Dutchman seems to suit Sharapova personality as he is calm, well mannered and smart. She is already impressed and is optimistic about their future..

“From the first time we met I really liked what he had to say,” Sharapova said of Groeneveld. “ He came in as a very experienced person, player. He started from the very beginning of the game, and one of the things I’ve always liked in a coach is when he coached against me ‑ and he’s been there for many years coaching against me ‑ and I like when someone comes in and is honest and truthful and says it like it is. He’s that. He puts it all out on the table. He’s a team player. He works with everyone on my team, something I was missing for a little bit of time.”

At the age of 26 and entering her 12th full time year on the tour, Sharapova knows what she wants out of her team. She believes she is headed in the right direction, even though she admits that last summer, when she brought in Connors, her head wasn’t in the right place because her shoulder was aching and she could all but sense that her season was over. During the off season, Groeneveld spoke to her in the right way and she has opened her mind to at least some changes.

“Ultimately it’s not always someone that’s going to come in and change something drastically,” said Sharapova, who will face Caroline Garcia in the first round. “I always thought a different person can come in and give you similar words to what the previous person says, but for some reason it just clicks differently in your mind and you go out and execute differently than before. You have to realize that when that stalls, you have to get that going again, get the engine going if you just stop and feel like you’re at a standstill. I got everything I could out of Thomas. He came in at the very right time in my career. He got me going and got me motivated. But I’m excited at the things that Sven can bring to the table as well.”

Match of the day

Aussie teenager Ashleigh Barty fought off five match points and Kiki Bertens 2-6, 6-3 7-5 to qualify for the tournament for the first time.

Injury Watch

Caroline Wozniacki’s pull out of her first tournament of the year with a shoulder injury is not good news for the Dane, even though she played it down.

The former No. 1 began to feel some shoulder pain before heading Down Under and it got worse in practice in Brisbane. She planned to head to Sydney for the Apia International on Saturday to rest and rehab and says there is no structural damage to her arm, but even if she finds her way to Melbourne, it’s possible she will be missing much needed match play. “I still feel confident about the season and want to be able to play at 100 percent when I start,” she said.

Quote of the day

Sharapova on her relationship with her boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov:

“Of course we share a lot of the same things just because we have an elephant in the room that’s called tennis. But there are so many other things to life that are besides tennis, and there are a lot more things to discuss than forehands and backhands and strings and racquets, which we share similar ideas and things of. Yeah, that’s been really nice.”

What to Watch for on Monday

World No. 2 Victoria Azarenka will return to Brisbane, where last year she caused a stir by pulling out of her semifinal against her rival Serena Williams due what she described a bad pedicure, which was nicknamed

“Pedicure Gate.” Azarenka admitted to being burned out and tired during the 2013 WTA Championships and may not be 100 percent fit just two weeks before she has to defend her Australian Open title.

Men’s main draw play in Brisbane begins on Monday. Top seed Roger Federer spent his Sunday morning kissing Koalas for the TV cameras and his afternoon practicing on an outside court in front of packed house in temperatures that topped 90 degrees.

Topics: 10sballs, Ana Ivanovic, Andy Murray, Ashleigh Barty, Brisbane, Caroline Wozniacki, GRIGOR DIMITROV, Kiki Bertens, Maria Sharapova, Matt Cronin, Serena Williams, Sports, sven groeneveld, Tennis, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka