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Maria Sharapova's Interviews |
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| Maria Sharapova talks about her easy third round win and pays tribute to the retiring Patty Schnyder |
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| May 29, 2011 |
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Pre-tournament favourite Maria Sharapova continued her march towards the only Grand Slam title missing from her trophy cabinet with a solid 6-2, 6-3 win against Taiwanese qualifier Chan Yung-Jan in the third round of the French Open on Saturday. Up next for the Russian princess is Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who pulled off a commendable straight sets win against Yanina Wickmayer.
In her post match press conference Sharapova talks about her win, her next opponent, the retirement of Patty Schnyder and a whole lot more.
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| Question |
Can we say you were totally in control today? |
| Maria Sharapova |
Yeah, I felt like I was in control most of the match. I only got broken once I believe in the second set, and I served really well throughout the match. You know, I took my chances when I had them.
So, yeah, I was quite pleased after playing a three set match that I had a quicker one today. |
| Question |
So you've got Radwanska. You've played her a number of times, I think only once on clay, though, Istanbul. But she's obviously a tough out on clay. She moves well, gets a lot of balls back. You want to just talk about that? |
| Maria Sharapova |
Yeah, it will be a really tough match because I think this is one of her best surfaces. She's a really good mover and moves well on clay and gets a lot of balls back, and just be important to be aggressive and look for my opportunities to move forward. |
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| A very business like Maria Sharapova talks about her tough win against 17-year old Caroline Garcia |
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| May 27, 2011 |
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Former world no.1 Maria Sharapova recovered from a 6-3, 4-1 deficit to win 11 games on the trot to beat young Caroline Garcia of France, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. The win was hardly a popular one with the 17-year old French prodigy earning the respect and adoration of the home fans.
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| Question |
You told courtside that you made some adjustments to your game during the match. Can you please elaborate. |
| Maria Sharapova |
Well, first of all, I think I relaxed and just, you know, let things happen. I think I was way too concerned about the conditions and wasn't moving my feet and just was really slow, and she was playing aggressive and, you know, hitting great shots. I just felt flat-footed in the beginning.
I just hit the ball finally. |
| Question |
The American Jim Courier when he was criticized for his lack of weapons said going for the lines at crunch time, hitting all out when everything is on the line is a skill and a talent. Could you talk about that sense of fight? Also, compare your intensity and your will to win with the caliber of others, with Serena and with Justine? |
| Maria Sharapova |
Well, I just never think that the match is over until it actually is. I think that no matter what situation you're put in, no matter how good or bad you feel, you've got to finish the match.
Like I said, I never really felt comfortable throughout that match. I was just really trying to find my own rhythm. You know, more than anything I was just trying to be more consistent and not, you know, maybe make her hit the errors instead.
She'd hit a great first shot and then I just wouldn't hit the ball. I felt like I was flat-footed. More than anything, I felt like I had to make a few changes, which I did. I made the adjustment. That was really important.
As far as the fighting, I think, yeah, it's important to fight. You know, it's not my job to compare myself to other players, but I'm certainly-- I'll never give up out there, yeah. |
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| Maria Sharapova talks tennis, jewelry, being a favourite this year and defeating a veteran |
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| May 24, 2011 |
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Mirjana Lucic a Wimbledon semi-finalist back in 1999 held her own in her first round match against Maria Sharapova for the first 5 games before the Russian princess rattled off 10 games on the trot to ease through to a 6-3, 6-0 win in under an hour.
Sharapova was her usual self wading through the barrage of questions that came her way as she talked tennis, her form, the pressure of being a favourite and enjoying her time in the fashion capital of the world.
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| Question |
You didn't pretty much miss a ball the last nine games. Looks like you're completely in rhythm now. |
| Maria Sharapova |
Yeah, it was a tough beginning because she started off serving really big, and I didn't get too many looks on second serves, and once I got a good rhythm, you know, I felt like I started playing better and better.
Yeah, it's a good way to start. First round is always a little tricky, especially when you don't know your opponent too well. |
| Question |
So confidence-wise, when do you think you really find it? Was it against Wozniacki or Sam? Now it looks like you can pretty much hit any shot. |
| Maria Sharapova |
Thank you. Um, I felt, you know, I started the tournament off really well, and I felt like I continued with that. You know, even though I lost the first set to Azarenka, I felt like I adjusted well, and I did that really well throughout the tournament, felt that like if something wasn't quite working, you know, always had a plan B, and was able to find a way to win and do it in good manner. |
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| Maria Sharapova looks forward to an assault on the French Open crown and talks about the open nature of the draw |
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| May 21, 2011 |
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Italian Open champion Maria Sharapova talks to the press about her form coming into the French Open, her increasing comfort with clay, the favourites for this year's crown and the open nature of the women's draw...
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| Question |
Coming into Roland Garros on the back of a great win, so you come in with confidence. Will people look at you a bit more differently given that you said here a couple years ago clay isn't exactly your best surface or a surface with which people fear you perhaps as much as on grass? So coming in with a big tournament win, you're in the front line. |
| Maria Sharapova |
Yeah, I mean, it's not really my job to say whether I am or not. I think that's more of your job than mine. My job is to go out and play tennis and compete, and I was really happy with the way last week turned out. You know, I played great tennis. I had some great matches and wins over good players, especially on clay.
So it's definitely a confidence booster. You know, just hoping to take this form and bring it over to Roland Garros. |
| Question |
Kim Clijsters, she is back in this tournament. What do you expect of her? |
| Maria Sharapova |
Well, it's always difficult to not play for a few weeks and come back as a Grand Slam being your first tournament. But, you know, she has a tremendous amount of experience behind her back.
I don't think this is the first time that certainly not the first time she's come back after having a long lay-off. She's been able to do really well when she's taken time off, so you can never count her out. It might take her a few matches to get into form. That's normal when you haven't played for a while. But, yeah. |
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| Maria Sharapova's Final Interview - Sony Ericsson Open 2011 Miami |
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| April 02, 2011 |
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| Question |
Obviously late start, but seemed like you really picked up the game in the second set. Victoria as well stayed tough, didn't she? |
| Maria Sharapova |
Yeah, it's a little bit too late to pick up the pace when you're down a set and 4 0. Yeah, I wish I picked it up earlier obviously. Against a player like her you have to have that level from the beginning or else she's going to go with it and only get better. She'll gain more confidence.
Yeah, she did many things better than I did today. She was the aggressive one. She returned better and did a lot of things better than I did. |
| Question |
You're only a couple years older, and yet it seems like there are some similarities to the point where she might have watched you modelled some stuff on you. Do you sense that you're playing someone similar to you? |
| Maria Sharapova |
She well, has an aggressive game. She goes for her groundstrokes. Yeah, there are certainly similarities. I don't know if that's because she watched me or that's just the way her game is.
Yeah. |
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