Maria Sharapova talks about the difficulty winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. Only two female players have been able to do so: Kim Clijsters in 2005 and Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996. Sharapova has won Indian Wells twice: In 2006 when she then went on to lose to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Miami final, and this year.
The third-seeded Sharapova beat Jelena Jankovic, 6-2, 6-1, to reach her fifth Miami final today. She will face either defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska or five-time champion Serena Williams in the final.
“It's tough. I think it's one of the toughest back-to-backs of the year,” Sharapova told reporters. “It's the amount of matches. It's also the late matches that you're playing. You know, the recovery. Also coming from different coasts. I mean, it's not like just a hop. It's a five-hour flight. Conditions are completely different. It's not easy.”