January 02, 2011
Maria Sharapova believes she can again become a potent force in women's tennis and says her presence in Auckland is an indication of how seriously she is approaching that goal in 2011.
Sharapova said she could have bypassed Auckland for an exhibition event but decided she needed to change her approach to this year if she is to lift herself from her current ranking of 18th to the world No1 status she has held four times, the last time in May of 2008.
The American-based Russian faces Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the first round of the Classic tomorrow.
Sharapova admitted yesterday that if she was to achieve her goal, she would have to regain her reputation as the best server in the women's game.
Her 1.88m height helps Sharapova send down bombs that her opponents could not cope with at her peak.
But since her shoulder operation in October 2008, that serve has been less of a weapon and she's had to rely on her forehand to be her trump card.
But Sharapova says she has been continually altering her serving style to get back to the action she had before her operation.
"For the first six months, I had a bit of a shorter motion because that allowed me to get back onto the court and tournaments faster," she revealed in Auckland yesterday.
"If I waited a bit more I could have started with my older one, but I took a bit of pressure off it for the first six months which was good.
"I think it's one of those things that comes with time and you build on it.
"I've had to change it a few times because of the shoulder and obviously that's not the best-case scenario when you're in the middle of your career when you've had a great serve before.
"But to get back to the top you have to make adjustments through your career."
Sharapova has won three Grand Slams in the past, Wimbledon in 2004, US Open in 2006 and Australian Open in 2008.
All were memorable wins, but she says if she was to win a fourth, it would eclipse all three of those achievements.
"If I was able to win a Grand Slam after my injury it would be the greatest achievement in my career," she said.
New Zealand's No1 Sacha Jones will face third-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam title winner, in the first round in a horror draw while things won't be much easier for the other Kiwi in the main draw, Marina Erakovic. She faces Elena Vesnina, the tournament's seventh seed and world No52.
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