Merry Christmas !!!

Merry Christmas to all of you !!! :)



GO MARIA !!!

Maria`s performances by countries

Here are the wins:

Australia - Australian Open (2008)
Austria - Linz (2006)
Canada - Quebec City (2003)
China - Beijing (2014)
France: Roland Garros (2012, 2014), Strasbourg (2010)
Germany - Stuttgart (2012, 2013, 2014)
Great Britain - Wimbledon (2004), Birmingham (2004, 2005)
Qatar - Doha (2005, 2008)
Italy - Rome (2011, 2012)
Japan - Japan Open (2003, 2004), Pan Pacific Open (2005, 2009)
Spain - Madrid (2014)
South Korea - Seoul (2014)
Switzerland - Zurich (2006)
United States - WTA Championships (2004), US Open (2006), Indian Wells (2006, 2013), San Diego (2006, 2007), Memphis (2010), Cincinnati (2011).


Hope for a lot more !



GO MARIA !!!

News

Maria will be playing two matches in the Coca Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) on Friday and Saturday.

In Manila, Maria will be playing for the Manila Mavericks and will play against Kristina Mladenovic (UAE Royals) on Friday and on Saturday against Ana Ivanovic (Micromax Indian Aces). Action begins at 7.30 PM local time both nights.

Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya, Treat Huey and Kirsten Flipkens join Maria on the Manila Mavericks team.

Each team will play five sets (Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Mixed Doubles, Men’s Doubles & Men’s Legends Singles). No-ad scoring applies for each game and each game won counts as one point for the team’s total. Each set is played first to six games with a 5 minute Shoot-out at 5-all.  There will be no change overs, and the player that wins the most points within the four minutes wins the set.

The International Premier Tennis League brings together current champions, tennis legends and upcoming talent in a format that’s never been seen before. Created to fulfill the increasing demand for top-level tennis in Asia, it’s the first city-based professional league in the world, played across four countries.

From 28th November to 13th December, 2014, the teams will play a total of 24 matches in a round robin format to determine the inaugural IPTL League Champion.

GO MARIA !!!

2014 in numbers

Now that the competitional year is over here are some statistics of this year:

-> 1 - the number of Grand Slams that Maria won (Roland Garros)

-> 2 - Maria`s place in the WTA rankings.

-> 4 - the number of single titles that Maria won (Roland Garros, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Mutua Madrid Open and China Open).

-> 10 - the number of countries Maria played tournaments (Australia, France, USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, UK, China and Singapore).

-> 10 - Maria`s victories against Top 10 players in 2014.

-> 16 - the number of matches Maria won in Grand Slams.

-> 49 - the number of matches Maria won in 2014.

-> 208 - in minutes, the longest match Maria played in 2014 at Australian Open against Karin Knapp.

-> 7050 - the number of ranking points Maria gained in 2014.


Looking forward for 2015 !



GO MARIA !!!

Maria`s 2015 schedule

14th January - Brisbane International, Australia.

19th January - Australian Open.

7th Februray - Fed Cup vs Poland, Poland.

24th February - Abierto Mexicano, Mexico.

4th March - Indian Wells, United States.

24th March - Miami Open, United States.

20rh April - Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Germany.

2nd May - Mutua Madrid Open, Spain.

11st May - Internazionali BNL d`Italia, Italy.

26th May - Roland Garros, France.

30th June - Wimbledon, United Kingdom.

10th August - Rogers Cup, Canada.

17th August - Cincinnati, United States.

31st August - US Open.

3rd October - China Open.



GO MARIA !!!

Yahoo Beauty: Maria Sharapova

Between her talent—she’s currently ranked 2nd in the world for women’s tennis—and her height—6-foot-2—Maria Sharapova is larger than life. A decade ago, the 27-year-old Russian native catapulted to fame by beating Serena Williams to win Wimbledon. She has gone on to win five grand slam tournaments and thanks to a savvy business sense and partnerships with brands like Nike, Canon, and now Avon, Maria is the world’s highest paid female athlete—a title she’s held onto for over decade. Gorgeous, savvy, and powerful both on and off the court, Maria talks beauty tips, vodka, and what makes her so competitive.

BB: I’m so happy to interview you for Yahoo Beauty. Watching you play tennis always makes me wish I could play better. My husband owns a tennis club and hits a mean ball, but unfortunately I can’t play!

MS: [Laughs.] Well I am not good at many other things, so I am lucky to be good at that.

BB: But you’re a businesswoman, model and a high-ranking tennis player—is there really anything you’re not great at?

MS: I am not a great dancer! There are many things I am not great at. I haven’t perfected cooking because I haven’t had the time, but I really love food. I really wish that I could be a good cook, especially for my future children one day.

BB: What kind of food do you love?

MS: I grew up with Russian cuisine, with my grandmother’s cooking, so I would have to go with that. Like borsch and Russian dumplings, and all of the different salads, it’s a type of comfort food.

BB: My grandparents are Russian, so I love the food, too. I also love vodka—it’s probably in my blood!

MS: I don’t like straight vodka. I do like a cocktail with vodka in it!

BB: Oh I love straight vodka. I am very Russian! So talk to me about fragrance—you spoke about your mother and grandmother, do you remember them ever wearing perfume when you were a little girl?

MS: Yes absolutely. I remember when we came over to the United States, I was still quite young, I wasn’t familiar with makeup or beauty or fragrance, but I remember my mom’s drawer, and as a young girl you always look at the pretty bottles. My first memory of fragrance is trying all these different scents. It’s a rookie mistake, spraying on like five at a time. You don’t know what’s going on, they are all so pretty and you are doing something your mom doesn’t know about. Later she gave me one of her bottles—an Estee Lauder bottle—that I loved using for many years.

BB: You’re the face of Avon’s new fragrance Luck, tell me about it.

MS: I would say it has a very light oriental texture with a bit of white flower. Some of my friends have said it’s a fruity, but to me it is a flower base, which is nice because I usually tend to go for fragrances that I can put on in the morning and carry with me throughout the whole day. That is part of my lifestyle, as it is for many women. We’re all so busy that we lean toward something with which you can start and finish off your day.

BB: I love that it’s called Luck. Do you feel like luck has had anything to do with your success? It looks to me like it’s thanks to your drive, determination, and skill.

MS: Yeah for me I have always gone by the motto, “The harder you work the more luck you receive,” because I really do believe that you create your own luck. When something happens to you in a moment where you think, “Gosh that was lucky.” But when you actually think about it you realize, “I worked for luck to come at this period of time, I just didn’t expect it in this moment.” That is kind of how I see luck. It is a big part of my career and I play a very individual sport and sometimes it feels good to be lucky, but on occasion you’re like, “No, I actually worked for that moment to go my way.”

BB: In addition to being an incredible athlete, you have this intense business savvy. How did you learn that?

MS: I became interested in business and started working with blue chip brands where I would sit in meetings with incredibly talented people in different fields—whether it was marketing or creative from Nike to TAG Heuer. I wanted to be part of the process and be part of the commitment. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s never just your name or picture on a product, and I think that is one of the reasons I have been successful. I have really enjoyed the process of getting to know a brand—its history, its heritage, its goals, kind of taking that in because I never had a traditional education. I started my candy brand Sugarpova a few years ago, and I had no idea about candy. I took all of the expertise that I’d gathered in all those years.

BB: I also learned everything about business from on-the job training; I never went to business school, so I do understand. You’re both aggressive and powerful on the court, are you that way when it comes to work?

MS: I am very competitive [laughing] and I think that shows not just in tennis, but in everything else that I do. I am very competitive away from the court. I’ve worked with most of the brands for years, so I carry a close connection to them. I become competitive even though most of them are not my brands! I do have that will and determination to succeed and I think one of the reasons is because I try not to fear failure and I try not to shy away from experimenting, to set goals that are way beyond my reach. Even if I just achieve a small part of it, it puts a smile on my face.

BB: I also see you as incredibly confident. Have you always been that way?

MS: I was always kind of the odd one out, because when I moved to the United States I was surrounded by American kids. I was the only foreigner in the group. I was also the youngest, so I learned how to stand up for myself and how to be brave. Confidence is a very important thing, and not just on the outside. You must feel it inside in order for it to shine through.

BB: Do you ever get nervous? Whether on the court or before a Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot?

MS: Of course! We all get nervous, without that we wouldn’t be human. When I go on the court and I’m walking through the tunnels and I realize, “Oh my gosh, I am going to be playing in front of thousands of people”—if you really think about it, it is really scary! But then I look back and I know I’ve spent so many hours training when no one can see me and it’s freezing outside and I’m working to get better. No one sees those moments, so you do everything you can to win a tennis match because you’re the reason they are there. They paid for a ticket so you are almost like an entertainer. It’s a privilege, and it changes the way you think.

BB:. Do you do your own makeup before hitting the court?

MS: No,I don’t go on court with makeup. People always ask me about my beauty routine, but I think that beauty always comes in the way that you take care of your skin—not in the makeup you put on your face. Hydrating your skin, getting enough sleep, wearing sunscreen, those things are so basic, but we overlook them so often. I grew up playing in the Florida sun since I was seven years old and sunscreen was such a huge part of my beauty regime and still is.

BB: You are so incredibly centered for someone who has grown up in the public eye; it’s wonderful to speak with you. I hope to meet you soon! You’re 6’2 and I am 5’ so I can only imagine the photo-op!

MS: [Laughs]. I will make sure I don’t wear heels.

BB: It’s ok. Like you, I have to be confident in my own skin because it’s the only one I have.

MS: I like that!

BB: It has been a pleasure. Good luck with everything.

GO MARIA !!!

Maria`s 2014 dresses and outfits

GO MARIA !!!

Game over... almost !

Maria is 99% eliminated from the WTA Finals Singapore after she lost against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in straight setst: 2-6, 3-6 after only one hour and 15 minutes.

The only condition to qualify for semifinals is that Maria must win against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in straight sets and Caroline Wozniacki must win in the other match of the White Group against Petra Kvitova also in straight sets.

On head to head, between Kvitova and Wozniacki the score is tied at 4. Between Maria and Radwanska the score is 10-2 for Maria. The last match between Maria and Radwanska was this year in Madrid, where Maria won in straight sets: 6-1, 6-4.



GO MARIA !!! 

Not her day !

Maria started slow in Singapore after she lost the first match against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in 3 sets: 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.

Maria made 76 unforced errors and 15 double-faults in this match and definitely she needs some changes in her game if she wants to qualify in the next phase of the tournament.

Maria will play against Petra Kvitova who lost against Agnieszka Radwasnka in White Group, so it`s going to be a very important match for both of the players. The one who will lose this game will have to say "goodbye" to Singapore after only 2 matches.

On head to head, Maria leads Kvitova: 6-2. Their last match was this year in Beijing final, when Maria won the trophy in 3 sets: 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.



GO MARIA !!!

Maria in White Group

The draw for the WTA Finals in Singapore has benn released and Maria is in White Group with Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic, Agniesza Radwanska of Poland and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

Here are some stats about Maria:

2014 Titles: 4 (Stuttgart, Madrid, Roland Garros, Beijing)
2014 Record: 48-11.
Best Grand Slam result in 2014: Champion in Paris - Roland Garros Champion
Head to head vs rest of the players in White Group: 21-7.
WTA Finals history: 7th appearance: 17-8.
Best performance at WTA Finals: Champion in 2004.

After the draw, Maria said: "I’m quite happy with my group. I think every match will be a challenge. There are some players that I’ve lost to this year, and some players that I beat, so it’s a little bit of everything.”

The schedule is not set yet, so stay tuned for the upcoming matches of the White Group.


GO MARIA !!!

Interview after Beijing final

Q. What is your overall take on that match, and then talk specifically about the third set. Seems you raised your level across the board.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, bit of an up‑and‑down match, I’d say. Maybe not the best out of the tournament.

But, yeah, it’s not easy playing against Petra. You don’t always quite get a good rhythm. She goes for a lot of shots, you know, very deep. She’s a very good, confident player.

Coming into this match, I know she’s been on a roll in the last couple of weeks. That’s never easy. It’s probably the toughest opponent you can face in a final, that’s had that success. Yet you just want to focus on kind of your side, what you do best.

After exchanging breaks in the first set, I was happy. I felt like I stepped it up. I started returning quite well, reading her serve a little bit. She became the more aggressive player in the second set. I think I took a few too many steps back and let her be that way, let her play that way.

Yeah, I was kind of happy that I was able to lift my game again in the third and come out with a win.

Q. Compared to last year at this time when you were out with the shoulder injury, how does it feel to be having such a good year, winning the French Open, fourth title, second in the ranking?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It’s so rewarding, honestly. At this time of year, I was somewhere in Europe getting treatment for my shoulder, just trying to find different medical perspectives and advice on how to treat it and how to get it better, obviously not knowing I wasn’t going to play for the rest of the year. I missed the US Open already, was going to miss the Championships. It was mentally a tough time because I was just in the middle of Europe trying to find a solution, yet everyone was still playing.

It’s definitely great to be a year later in a situation where this is my fourth title of the year, you know, a Grand Slam this year. A lot to put in perspective. You look back and think about how you kind of struggled, but you kept going.

I also formed a new team. There were a lot of question marks up in the air. These moments are rewarding and I’m glad I can start it off with the same people who started the year off with me.

Q. Your previous two matches you came out very aggressive, especially compared to this match where you came out a little flat. Any reason you think it was harder to get momentum in the beginning of this match?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it was a sloppy couple of games for me in the beginning. It’s always tough to tell. I think I’ve done a really good job in this tournament of having good starts. I think that’s really helped me.

But, again, I was able to get the break back by doing a few things a little bit differently, then win that set 6‑4. So, yeah, I don’t think that was a huge key of the match, to be honest.

Q. Considering what you achieved in the big tournaments this year, one Grand Slam, two mandatory premiere titles, also number one in the Race for the Championship, do you think you are the most consistent player this year on the tour?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don’t like to compare myself to others. I only want to follow my own road. It’s kind of in my hands. I lose and win matches with myself. Of course you have people in your team around you, but at the end of the day it’s you out there.

I’ve never been one to compare. I think everyone has their own road. I’m very grateful that I’ve had that success. It’s also nice to have my first hard court title this year on a big stage. I didn’t feel like I had a very easy draw at this tournament. I played six tough matches and I came through with some really positive scorelines.

I’d say based on this week that it was a really great win for me.

Q. How did you feel? How was your endurance at the end of the match? It went pretty long. At times Kvitova looked like she was faltering a little bit. How did you feel?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, it’s a long week. But she played many matches last week. I played two more matches than her this week because she had a bye and a walkover. In terms of the last 10 days, I was the player that played more matches within that timeframe.

I didn’t actually feel so bad physically. Six matches is quite a lot in nine days. But overall it was nice to get straight‑set wins. So that was really helpful. Hasn’t really been the case for me most of the season. So that certainly helps when you’re out there physically in a final because you know it’s the last match and you have to give everything that you have.

Q. Year‑end No.1 is now on the table for you. Would you consider changing your schedule at all, playing other tournaments, or are you just going to head into the Finals?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my career, add a few tournaments to my schedule to gain points, in order to find a certain ranking. Never in the juniors, never in the pros. It’s never really how I’ve seen my career.

Most important is to be healthy. I’ve played two tournaments. Didn’t have a great first week. I turned it around here. There’s absolutely no reason to fly to Asia to play four matches, then fly back to Asia, so…

Q. What is the plan for the next 10 days? You’ll be staying in China or travel back to the States?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I’m going to be staying in Asia.

Q. Where?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Not in China, but in Asia (smiling).

Q. You are now ranked second on the Road to Singapore. The score between you and Serena is less than 500 points. You have a good chance of winning your first year‑end ranking No.1 at Singapore. What do you think about it? Do you have a good chance?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I just kind of answered that question.

I’ve been fortunate enough and very lucky to be No.1 in the world before in my career. I’m very happy to be in the situation today, knowing that I have the opportunity to do that again, to try to get the No.1 spot.

Of course, it’s an incredible achievement if I could do it, considering where I started the year. But in the meantime I know I’ve had a great year and I’m going to go into the last tournament that I have just wanting to elevate my performance, use this week as a great steppingstone in the right direction, and finish it off well.

Q. Throughout this year, after coming back from the shoulder injury, was there ever a moment where you were more concerned about the shoulder than not?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I try to be a little smarter during the time last year where I hurt my shoulder, which was during the clay. Fortunately we had really good weather, it was very warm, and I never really had issues with the balls being heavy or the conditions heavy, even though I played really long matches. I think I handled that quite well, and my shoulder held up.

I also have a new physio this year, which has been a really great addition to my team, has been very influential in my shoulder work. Every single day working on it hour, hour and a half, two hours on the table, whatever it takes in the gym strengthening it. Really the boring times. It’s kind of mandatory work in order to keep your body healthy.

After a long year and so many matches, I’m very happy with the way that I feel physically.

Q. You’ve been to Singapore many times and there are a lot of fans in Singapore waiting for you. This is actually the first time Singapore holds the Finals. I’m sure there will be a lot of fans cheering for you. What is your impression of Singapore? Do you have any plans to meet up with the fans in Singapore? Are you going to sell the Sugarpova in Singapore?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I actually have not been to Singapore many times. I’ve only been to Singapore once and it was for an exhibition, it was in and out. I didn’t really have a chance to see the city or experience much of the culture or the people.

But I hope that this will be a bit different. I will be there for much longer than my previous time. I hope I’ll be able to do a little bit of sight‑seeing. But mainly I want to compete. I want to go out there and finish the year off really well. That’s my main priority. I’m sure I’ll have time to be a tourist when my career is finished.

Q. Last week when you were in Wuhan you didn’t get a good result. How did you in such a short time adjust your form and win a title here in China? In the last several matches you have done really well. How did you do that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it was not the result I wanted last week. Certainly a disappointing result for me. I thought I was ready for the tournament. I wanted to compete. I just didn’t end up with a positive result.

Within the timeframe of only of a couple of days until my first round here, I just had to settle down a bit. You know, sometimes it just takes a few little things to change something around. Maybe some of those results ultimately get you to this position.

I’ve always learned a lot from tough matches. Sometimes losing the matches I feel like I learn a lot more than winning a match easy because you really have to focus on what you did wrong and how you’re going to change it.

I think I’m proud that I was able to just take a couple days and get on the practice court, do the work that I could, and change the result here.

GO MARIA !!!

Queen in Beijing !

Maria defeated Petra Kvitova in 3 sets: 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 after 2 hours and 28 minutes and won her first trophy in Beijing. Congratulations, Maria !!!

After this great performance Maria will move to No.2 in WTA Rankings starting Monday.

After the final, Maria said:"It was a bit of an up-and-down match I'd say - maybe not the best out of the tournament. But it's never easy playing against Petra. You don't always quite get a good rhythm. She goes for a lot of shots, very deep, and she's a very good, confident player."

"I knew she'd been on a roll in the last couple of weeks. It's probably the toughest opponent you can face in a final, that's had that success, yet you just want to focus on your side, what you do best."

"She became the more aggressive player in the second set. I think I took a few too many steps back and let her play that way. But I was able to lift my game again in the third and come out with a win."

"It was a disappointing result for me in Wuhan. I thought I was ready for the tournament and wanted to compete. I just didn't end up with a positive result. Within the time frame of only a couple of days until my first round here, I just had to settle down a bit. Sometimes it just takes a few little things to change things around - maybe some of those results ultimately get you to this position."

"I'm proud I just took a couple of days and did the work I could, and changed the result here."

Maria will play at the WTA Finals in Singapore this month. The tournament starts on October 20th. This is the last tournament for her this year.

GO MARIA !!!

One more !

One match and Maria will be the queen in Beijing ! Maria defeated Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in semifinals in straight sets: 6-0, 6-4 at China Open.

After the match, Maria said: "I thought I executed quite well with the plan that I had in mind from the beginning of the match.I felt that I was really the one kind of going for it, just making her move. Sometimes the rallies I lost were when she was on the run - I was all right with those. I'd rather lose those types of rallies than if she's pushing me back and hitting winners."

"It definitely got tricky in the end, but I was happy to get through today."

“She was the more aggressive player last time (we played) which didn't help me very much.  I was always on defense,” Sharapova said. “Today I felt that I really was the one kind of going for it, making her move.”

In the last act, Maria will play against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic. On head to head, Maria leads Kvitova: 5-2. Their last match was this year in Miami quarterfinal, where Maria won in straight sets: 7-5, 6-1.

GO MARIA !!!

Unstoppable !

One hour and 24 minutes needed Maria to book a place in semifinals at China Open. She defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in straight sets: 6-4, 6-0.

After the game, Maria said: "We've always had very difficult matches, and the one in Wuhan was no different. It was very physical with a lot of long rallies, and I had a little bit of a slow start there."

"I definitely wanted to do that differently this time, which I was happy with today. I think I played very aggressively. I controlled most of the points. I didn't allow her to get many balls back. It became a little bit trickier in the second set. I thought she played really great defense. But even if I was down a break, I felt like she was doing most of the running, and I was happy to win the match in two sets."

In semifinals, Maria will play against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. On head to head, Maria leads Ivanovic: 8-4. Their last match was this year in Cincinnati, where Ivanovic won in 3 sets.

About her semifinal opponent, Maria said: "It was a very tough match we had in Cincinnati - I was just a point away from winning the match. It was a tough one to lose. I felt like I was down and out, and then I gave myself a chance to get back into it. I'll be looking to get a better start this time than I did over there."

"She's playing really well. She's been playing really well so far this year, very consistent."

"I always look forward to our matches - I think they're always competitive."

GO MARIA !!!

Another victory

Maria is in quarterfinals after she defeated Carla Suarez-Navarro of Spain in straight sets: 6-1, 7-6 at China Open after one hour and 40 minutes of play.

After the game, Maria said: "I started off the match really well, which is something I didn't do when I lost to her in Montréal. She was the more aggressive then and today from the beginning I led her to make a few more mistakes than she wanted to."

"Towards the middle of the second set I became more passive. It's something that I think gave her the chance to move in a little bit more, to approach and come in, start hitting the ball a bit deeper. That made it a little trickier. But overall I thought I did a good job of coming back in that tie-breaker."

In quaterfinals, Maria will play either Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia or Angelique Kerber of Germany.



GO MARIA !!!

Maria shines in Beijing

One hour and 25 minutes needed Maria to defeat Elina Svitolina of Ukraine at China Open. Maria won in straight sets: 6-2, 6-2.

After the match, Maria said: "It was great to have a good start to the match. She's had a lot of success this year and had a good tournament last week, so it was a tough second round opponent and I'm really happy to get through."

"She made me hit a lot of balls - she's a really good mover from side to side - so I tried to open up the court a little bit when I could. Even though the score wasn't close, a lot of the games went to deuce and it was tough at times out there."

In 3rd Round, Maria will play against Carla Suarez-Navarro of Spain. Maria played twice against the spanish player and the score is tied at 1. Their last match was this year in Montreal, where Navarro won in 3 sets.

GO MARIA !!!

Back to victories

Maria won her 1st Round match at China Open in beijing in straight sets: 6-1, 6-4 against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia after one hour adn 30 minutes.

After the match, Maria said: "I thought I played a difficult opponent, someone that I've had trouble against in the past. She's capable of playing really well, has beaten top players before in her career." 

"Her ranking has dropped a little bit this year, but overall I knew it was a challenging first round opponent and I thought I handled that quite well considering I didn't have a great result last week. I started off the match quite well and followed through with that."

About her way to serve, Maria said: "I actually thought I served quite well today. I was very aggressive and I put a lot of pressure on her."

"I'm usually somebody that goes for my serve. If I make more errors, I feel more confident knowing that I'm going for it rather than just making my opponent hit a ball. That's always been my philosophy. Of course, I don't want to see the number of double faults very high. But overall I thought in key moments I served well."

In 2nd Round, Maria will play against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Maria never played Svitolina before.

GO MARIA !!!

Press conference in China

GO MARIA !!!

First hard test in China

Maria made another great come-back in 2nd Round at Wuhan Open. She defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in 3 sets: 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 after 2 hours and 9 minutes of play.

After the match, Maria said: "Svetlana is a very good player, a former Grand Slam champion, and we've had really tough matches in the past. She was a very difficult first opponent for me, so I was happy with the way I played in the second and third sets. I wasn't waiting for her to give me the match. I really stepped up after the first set, and that was really important."

In 3rd Round match, Maria will play either Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland or Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.



GO MARIA !!!

Press conference in China

GO MARIA !!!