May 23, 2011
Maria Sharapova Trying to Complete Career Grand Slam
There have been an awful lot of up and downs for Maria Sharapova since she last won a major.
Shortly after her victory at the 2008 Australian Open, it was discovered that Sharapova was suffering from a rotator cuff tear in her right shoulder. That forced her to miss the rest of the season, and she ultimately had to have surgery after rehab didn't work out. She finished the year at No. 9 in the world rankings.
Three years later, it seems that Sharapova is finally close to being her old self again. She is fresh off a victory at the Rome Masters, and is now up to No. 8 in the current world rankings. She is a No. 7 seed at the French Open, and will begin her run on Tuesday.
As we all know, the French Open is the one Grand Slam tournament that Sharapova has yet to win. In fact, she has yet to make it as far as the final round.
The good news is that the stage seems to set for world's former No. 1 player. Her victory on the red clay of Foro Italico was a huge leap forward given her history on clay courts, and it definitely sets her up for success on the famous red clay of Roland Garros.
Moreover, Sharapova is battling a relatively weak field for the title. Serena Williams is still out, Kim Clijsters is just now returning from a lengthy injury absence, and Sharapova just beat world No. 1 Carolina Wozniacki at the Rome Masters.
In fact, given all the elements at play, it's hard not to think of Sharapova as the favorite in this year's French Open. And given all she's been through in the last couple years, it's certainly easy to root for her.
But first things first. Sharapova's road to the final starts tomorrow opposite Mirjana Lucic tomorrow. An upset is unlikely, but like every other athlete under the sun, Sharapova is not exempt from the age-old maxim that anything can happen.
Resources : http://bleacherreport.com/
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