600!!!

Maria` 600th career victory happened this year at Australian Open in 3rd Round, where she defeated Lauren Davis of Unites States in 3 sets: 6-1, 7-6, 6-0 after 2 hours and 11 minutes.

After the match, Maria said: "I was up a break, up 30-0 and just let up. You're in a Grand Slam environment, third round, and against an opponent you haven't played before who's fired up and is not just going to give you the match."

Match statistics

In 4th Round, Maria will play against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. Maria never played Bencic before.

GO MARIA !!!

Maria advances to 3rd Round

Another victory for Maria in Melbourne, after one hour and 11 minutes she defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in straight sets: 6-2, 6-1.

Match statistics

After the match Maria said: "It's great to be back on this court after a great run last year."

"I had an opponent that I had never played before today; that's always tricky, but I'm happy that I got through."

"That's what we have to expect in Melbourne, and that's one of the toughest challenges of this tournament. The weather changes; one day it's over 40 degrees Celcius, another day you need a parka! Overall, I'm just happy that I could get the match in because I know many players are waiting for the rain to stop."

Aft In 3rd Round, Maria will play against Lauren Davis of United States. On head to head. Maria never played Davis before.

GO MARIA !!!

Maria shines in Melbourne

One hour and 13 minutes needed Maria to defeat Nao Hibino of Japan in straight sets: 6-1, 6-3.

After the 1st Round match, Maria said: "It was just nice to get on court and face the opportunity of playing a first match. No matter how much you train, it's always different when you walk out onto the court."

"It's definitely a relief to get that first one out of the way."

About when she heard that she is Hibino`s idol and that the Japanese player has posters of her on her wall: "She's got to take those off! It's time to put her posters up there."

"I actually hadn't heard much about her, and I hadn't seen too much of her game before I went on the court today. She actually likes the pace and takes the pace quite well. For a first Grand Slam performance I thought she was there till the end. That's impressive. She never let in, never gave up.

"I mean, experience is priceless for anyone, but especially for someone that's just starting out in their Grand Slam experience. I'm sure she'll have a great future ahead of her."

Match stats

In 2nd Round, Maria will play against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus. Maria never played Sasnovich before.

GO MARIA !!!

Not enough...

If Maria played like she did in 2nd set probably that she would had some chances. Unfortunately she didn`t and she lost the Australian Open final in straigh sets: 3-6, 6-7 after one hour and 51 minutes of play.

After the match, Maria said:

"It's always tough getting to a final stage of an event where it's down to two players and you end up becoming the one who's going home with the smaller trophy, there's no doubt about it. No matter how you played, well or not, whatever the scoreline, it's always tough. But it will be all right."

On the huge forehands she hit to save the first two match points...
"Well, I wasn't just going to let her hit a winner to win the match. I really wanted to go for it and I wanted to do everything I could to stay in those games and stay in that match.

"On the last one, couldn't do much to get that ball."

On her difficulties with playing Serena...

"I believe we attract what we're ready for. Yes, I haven't won against her many times, but if I'm getting to the stage of competing against someone like Serena, I'm doing something well. I'm setting up a chance to try to beat her, and it hasn't happened, but I'm not just going to go home without giving it another chance. That's just not who I am and not who I was raised to be. I'm a competitor.

"If I'm getting to the finals of Grand Slams and setting myself up to play Serena, I'm happy in that position. I love the competition. I love playing against the best, and at the moment, she is."

On whether she feels like she's getting closer...

"If I keep setting up chances for myself, absolutely."

In Maria`s schedule the next tournament is FED Cup. She will play for Russia against Poland and she will represent her country against Urszula Radwanska. The tournament starts on February 7.

GO MARIA !!!

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 !!!

4th Round Press Conference (PHOTO)

Photo: zimbio.com



GO MARIA !!!

Goodbye, Melbourne !

Game over for Maria at this Asutralian Open edition. She was defeated by Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in 3 sets: 6-3, 4-6, 1-6.

Open GDF Suez is the next tournament in Maria`s schedule. The tournament begins on January 27th.




GO MARIA !!!

Maria vs Cornet (PHOTO)

Photo: zimbio.com


GO MARIA !!!

Maria advances

After that tough match against Knapp, Maria struggeled a little bit in second set against Alize Cornet of France, but she managed to win her 3rd Round match at Australian Open in straight sets: 6-1, 7-6.

Maria said: "Of course everyone that played a long match in those conditions is going to feel physically and emotionally tired, but you have to find a way to get through it. That's what I did.

"It was quite tough in the end today. She had a set point and a chance to level the match out. And I probably wouldn't want to go to a third set. So I was happy that I was able to finish it off in two."

In 4th Round, Maria will play against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia. On head to head, Maria leads Cibulkova: 3-2. Their last match was in 2011 at Wimbledon, where Maria won in straight sets: 6-1, 6-1.

GO MARIA !!!

Heat

Tough conditions, tough match for Maria in 2nd Round at Australian Open against Karin Knapp of Italy. In the end, Maria won the match in 3 sets: 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 after 3 hours and 28 minutes of play.

Maria said: "There is no way of getting around the fact that the conditions were extremy difficult and have been like that the last few days. But you are really just trying to get through the match in the best possible way. No matter how you are playing, you are trying to make it safe as possible.
I`m really happy to get through today. I really am. I worked really hard in the last few months and I wanted this match . I didn`t play my best tennis, I didn`t do many things well. But I got through it."

In 3rd Round, Maria will play against Alize Cornet of Fance. On head to head, Maria leads Cornet: 1-0. Their only match was in 2012 in Stuttgart, where Maria won after Cornet retired when the score was: 6-3, 1-0.




GO MARIA !!!

Maria in Aussie Open 2nd Round

Maria defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands in straight sets: 6-3, 6-4 at Australian Open after a tough match. She struggled a little bit with her serve but in the end she managed to won the 1st Round match.

After this victory, Maria is in 2nd Round where she will play against Karin Knapp of Italy. On head to head, Maria leads Knapp: 1-0. The only match between them was in 2008 at Roland Garros, where Maria won in straight sets: 7-6, 6-0.

GO MARIA !!!

IMG Players Party in Melbourne

Photo: zimbio.com



GO MARIA !!!

Press conference in Melbourne

GO MARIA !!!

Practice session

GO MARIA !!!