GO MARIA !!!

Less than one hour needed Maria to pass Ekaterina Makarova in semifinals at Australian Open: 6-3, 6-2.

After the semifinal match, Maria said: "It's really special. You work really hard for these two weeks and fight through some tough matches, some tough situations, and you come from behind in some of them - for me really behind in one of them, saving two match points in the second round."

Maria will play in Australian Open last act against Serena Williams. One match for the title !

About the match against Serena Williams, Maria said: "I think her power and aggressiveness has always made me a little bit too aggressive, maybe going for a little bit more than I had to," Sharapova said. "She's great at making players hit that shot that you don't necessarily have to go for, maybe going for a little too much, going for the line."

Maria`s last victory against Serena was in 2004. On head to head she is leaded by Williams: 2-16. But the statistics are nothing now. It`s one match and one title. Let`s do this ! Come on, Maria !!! You can do it !!!



GO MARIA !!!

Maria into last 4

Maria won the quarterfinal match against Bouchard in straight sets: 6-3, 6-2 and she reached to semifinals at Australian Open.

About the quarterfinal match, Maria said: "I knew I had to play a really complete match. She's someone who really goes after it and goes after her strokes, so I knew that the second and third balls would be really important. I knew I had to take time away from her and be aggressive - I wanted to get in the rallies a little bit, but I also wanted to do something on my own first few shots today."

"I feel I have a second chance in the tournament. I want to get the most out of it."

In semifinals, Maria will play against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia. Maria leads Makarova: 5-0. Their last match was two years ago, in 2013 at Australian Open and Maria won in straight sets: 6-2, 6-2.



GO MARIA !!!

Semifinal clash against Bouchard

Maria needed one hour and 15 minutes to pass Shuai Peng of China in straight sets: 6-3, 6-0.

In quarterfinals, Maria will play against Eugenie Bouchard of Canada.

About this upcoming match, Maria said: "She's been playing really well in this tournament, and also in the Slams the last year. Really confident tennis and inspired form. I expect her to play a really good match. We only played one time last year, which was at the French, and that was a really tough match for me. I had to come back from being down one set to love. I'm sure she'll come out and play extremely well."

"I personally don't know Genie very well. As a tennis player she's a big competitor. She's an aggressive player as well, who likes to take the ball early and dictate points."

On head to head, Maria leads Bouchard: 3-0. Their last match was last year at Roland Garros, when Maria won in 3 sets: 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.


GO MARIA !!!

Another step forward

No problem for Maria in 3rd Round at Australian Open. She defeated Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in straight sets: 6-1, 6-1 after one hour of play.

After this 3rd Round match, Maria said: "I think I rebounded well. I had a good hit yesterday. I thought about what I wanted to try to achieve tonight, no matter who I played. I focused on myself more than anything else. Just tried to be a bit more aggressive and concentrate - I thought I did a good job of focusing well."

"She can be a tough, tough player to play against if you give her the time to change down the line like she likes to do, stepping down and hitting flat and low. If you give her the time, she'll do it."

In 4th Round, Maria will play agianst Shuai Peng of China. On head to head, Maria leads Peng: 4-1. 

"We've always had good matches. She's had great success in the last few Slams. She's a bit of an untraditional player with two hands on both sides - that's a little tricky - but I enjoy playing against her. She hits the ball quite flat as well, and deep. So I just have to be ready for those shots to always come back like that. And I'm looking forward to another good match-up."

The last match bewteen Maria and Peng was in 2012 at Roland Garros, where Maria won in straight sets: 6-2, 6-1.

GO MARIA !!!

Maria still in Melbourne

Tough match for Maria in 2nd Round at Australian Open. In the end, she managed to defeat Alexandra Panova of Russia in 3 sets: 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 after 2 hours and 32 minutes of play.

After the match, Maria said: "I thought my process through the match to the 5-4 game was pretty negative."

"I think I was dwelling too much on my mistakes and what I was doing wrong, and not really being in the present, something that I'm usually really good at. At that point when you're behind, you feel like you're making a lot of errors and don't have a good rhythm out there, but I really just kept trying to take it one point at a time, think positively, and change my thought process a little bit out there.

"When other things aren't working, maybe the mental side of things will help you out."

What positives does Maria take with her from this? "Just the fact that I did pull through and gave myself a chance to keep going. You never know how you're going to feel until you go out on the court and compete and play. No matter how you prepare, once you get out there, everything starts from scratch. It was a tough day, but I pulled through, and at this point that's what matters."

In 3rd Round, Maria will play against Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan. Maria never played Diyas before.

GO MARIA !!!

Maria in 2nd Round

One hour and 26 minutes needed Maria to earn her place in 2nd Round in Melbourne. She defeated Petra Martic of Croatia in straight sets: 6-4, 6-1.

After the match, Maria said: "Tonight I played an opponent who's capable of playing very good tennis. She's been injured a little bit, I believe, in the last year or so, but she can play. She's got some big weapons. Against someone who's already played a few matches, I knew I had to be really strong."

In 2nd Round, Maria will play against Alexandra Panova of Russia. Maria never played Panova before.



GO MARIA !!!

Maria`s dress for Australian Open 2015

Photo: tennis-buzz.com



GO MARIA !!!

Brisbane Champion !

Maria won the Brisbane International final after she defeated Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in 3 sets: 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 after 2 hours and 38 minutes of play.

After the final, Maria said: "We always go in and compete. We don't give up until the end. I think that's what makes our matches so great. I look forward to another good match here."

"She was doing a lot of things better in the first set, and she deserved to win the first set, but I hung in there. It was important to get that break, and the third set came down to a few points, really. I'm just happy that I managed to get it in three."

Maria now has 34 WTA titles to her name, but even more special is that this is just her second time winning a WTA title in Australia. The first was, of course, the Australian Open in 2008.

A In Maria`s schedule the next tournament is the first Grand Slam of the year, Australian Open. The tournament begins on January 19.


GO MARIA !!!

For the first title of the year

After she defeated Elina Svitolina in semifinals, Maria will play against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia for the Brisbane International trophy.


GO MARIA !!!

2014 results

Brisbane - Semifinal

Australian Open - 4th Round

Open GDF Suez - Semifinal

Indian Wells - 3rd Round

Miami - Semifinal

Stuttgart - Champion

Madrid - Champion

Rome - 3rd Round

Roland Garros - Champion

Wimbledon - 4th Round

Rogers Cup - 3rd Round

Cincinnati - Semifinal

US Open - 4th Round

Wuhan Open - 3rd Round

Beijing - Champion

Singapore - Group Stage

Let`s hope for more trophies than last year !!!

GO MARIA !!!

Maria into Brisbane semifinals

Only one hour and 8 minutes needed Maria to pass Carla Suarez-Navarro of Spain in straight sets: 6-1, 6-3.

After the quarterfinal, Maria said: "We went back and forth with our victories in 2014 so I'm always a little bit aware of girls that I lose to. I certainly know that she's capable of playing really well, though. She plays defense great and makes you hit a lot of balls. Especially on a slower court like here, you just don't want to give her that much time to play her game. I thought I did a good job of that today."

"Maybe I made a little too many unforced errors in the beginning, but I finished strong."

In Brisbane semifinals, Maria will play Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. On head to head, Maria leads Svitolina: 1-0. Their only match was last year in Beijing, where Maria won in straight sets: 6-2, 6-2.

GO MARIA !!!

First victory of 2015

Maria won her first of 2015 in Brisbane after the 2nd Round match against Yaroslava Shvedova: 6-0, 6-1 after one hour and 2 minutes of play.

After the match, Maria said: "To be honest, she's capable of playing really tough tennis. She's a big server, big strokes. Even though we haven't played in a while, she does like to play the top players. She swings quite freely. She has had good results against some good players in her career."

"It certainly felt good to start, you know, after not playing a match for a couple of months. Despite all the training, it's such a different feeling to go out on the court and play in front of, you know, a crowd in an actual match atmosphere."

In Brisbane quarterfinals, Maria will play either Carla Suarez-Navarro or Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

GO MARIA !!!