GLOBAL CHICK SENDS GREETINGS FROM STUTTGART! BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MARIA SHARAPOVA WAS GREAT, NOW ON TO WINNING ANOTHER PORSCHE

Written by: Global Chick on 21st April 2015

GLOBAL CHICK SENDS GREETINGS FROM STUTTGART! BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MARIA SHARAPOVA WAS GREAT, NOW ON TO WINNING ANOTHER PORSCHE

epa04592338 Maria Sharapova of Russia jubilates after winning against Ekatarina Makarova of Russia in their semi-finals match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 29 January 2015. The Australian Open tennis tournament, the first Grand Slam of the year, runs until 01 February 2015. EPA/Filip Singer |

All on the line in Stuttgart for Sharapova?

Greetings from an exceptionally sunny Stuttgart, the next stop on Global Chick’s touring schedule this year! We are now on the dirt (albeit indoors, so thankfully that red stuff doesn’t blow onto our lovely garments)!

But you join us, lovely readers, at an interesting time in women’s tennis. On the one hand, we have three-time defending champion Maria Sharapova aiming to equal Martina Hingis’ four titles, but to become the first person to get four in a row.

But then we have Simona Halep who for our money is emerging as the probably heiress apparent to Serena Williams. She is plucky, fearless, and we know she has the game to take the World No. 1 out, and pushed her hard in the Miami semi-final.

The World No. 2 spot is on the line, and the pressure is on in a stacked field. Even allowing for some top name withdrawals, including the adorable Andrea Petkovic, pits her compatriot Angelique Kerber against Sharapova potentially in her opening round. Kerber won the Charleston title, and was driven in the recent Davis Cup battle with Russia, so there is a fair bit of bite to this match.

Sharapova has become the epitome of the three set fight back, and she admitted that she had to work hard both physically and mentally to improve on the slippery stuff.

“I think it hasn’t been a big secret that I have improved physically. I improved my movement on the court, my strength, my recovery time. Many years ago it took me while to recover from a tough three-set match whereas now I don’t feel that I’m saving myself if it requires me to go deep into a third set early in a tournament I know that I can recover and I know that I’ll be ready for the next matches.”

Former USÂ tennis player Andre Agassi (L) talks to Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova (R) prior to a show match of the WTA tennis tournament at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, 21 April 2015. EPA/MARIJAN MURAT

This time last year she was two points away from losing her opener against Lucie Safarova, and we can expect a tough battle when she starts her campaign later in the week. Were it not for her leg injury, we could have had a prelude to the opening act in her hometown of Sochi – but she explained that she tried for as long as she could to be ready for the Fed Cup tie, but it wasn’t to be.

She said: I was so excited to play in my home town and it was quite unfortunate that I couldn’t and I just kind of ran out of time. I tried to follow it as much as possible.”

The Fed Cup final is a couple of weeks after the WTA Finals in Singapore and she admitted that she would have to plan out the rest of this year, and indeed next year (being an Olympic year) quite carefully.

She said: “It will be a very important decision and a critical one I have never been part of a final match in Fed Cup before. I’m going to look at all my options.

“Next year is a very big year and I want to be healthy and I want to be ready for it and if that match is two weeks after the final tournament in Singapore, if that will hurt me, I might not be playing.”

Knowing how much it meant to Roger Federer last year to have a shot at the one accolade missing from his collection, it would be a shame if Sharapova had to opt out of a final, simply down to scheduling.

However, before all that – there is a question of a fourth Porsche. Watch this (parking) space.

Topics: global chick, Maria Sharapova, Stuttgart, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

April 21, 2015 at 10:11 am

GLOBAL CHICK SENDS GREETINGS FROM #STUTTGART! #BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR @MariaSharapova WAS GREAT… http://t.co/UdxwOdeqrw #tennis #Sharapovabday
TasteofTennisAU says:

April 21, 2015 at 10:24 am

RT @10sBalls_com: GLOBAL CHICK SENDS GREETINGS FROM #STUTTGART! #BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR @MariaSharapova WAS GREAT… http://t.co/UdxwOdeqrw #te…