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

Written by: on 21st April 2015
Tennis Australian Open 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 US 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: , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.