Sharapova has made great strides on clay this year, with huge wins over loaded fields in Stuttgart and Rome. Slowly but surely, she even seems to be learning to live with—and contain—the damage caused by occasionally awful lapses in serving proficiency.
It’s no secret that Sharapova is unrivaled as a competitor, except perhaps by her nemesis, Serena Williams. A former No. 1—and currently a strong No. 2—as well as a three-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova avenged two lopsided losses earlier this year to Azarenka by topping the top seed in the Stuttgart final.
Sharapova’s main challenge will be to navigate her way through seven matches against a host of potentially problematic clay-court opponents, including the woman who beat her in the Miami final, Agnieszka Radwanska. Still, Sharapova was a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year and she’s only gotten better on clay since then.
Reason to Hope: She’s a bold shot-maker, and when she’s in a groove and swinging from the heels, she can blow anyone off the court. The confidence she earned this spring will be a great asset to her drive.
Reason to Worry: Sometimes her game runs off the rails, and it can happen against anyone. As well, Serena, who’s won two events on clay this spring, has her number.
The Last Word: If you can remove Serena from the equation, Sharapova has a good a shot as anyone, but she will have to be more consistent on clay than she’s ever been before to get it done.
More Previews:
—Victoria Azarenka
—Juan Martin del Potro
—Novak Djokovic
—Roger Federer
—Petra Kvitova
—Andy Murray
—Li Na
—Rafael Nadal
—Agnieszka Radwanska
—Maria Sharapova
—Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
—Serena Williams