Petkovic will beat Sharapova.

I don't think Petco can take her this time. Sharapova is much more confident now than she was in January. She was serving pretty big against Aggie, and I think she will dominiate Petco's second serve. Plus, Sharapova's dress is much prettier than Petco's. That dress of Maria's makes me want to have lemonade.

Maria can beat Andrea. If she does, the colossus known as Victoria Azarenka will be a nightmare match.

^ agree, don't want to look ahead too much but vika is playing soo good

LOL at the picture of Sharapova. this is why I want her to win this tournament so badly. she herself wants it SO much. she wants to win the french open more than anything, and that's the kind of player I think deserves to win, especially when it's someone who has come back from such a horrible injury at such a horrible time. I think her match against Petkovic will go the distance, but I have a feeling she'll prevail. I really want her to win the french. I think she deserves it.

MashaMashaMasha, laughed at this part of your comment: "Plus, Sharapova's dress is much prettier than Petco's. That dress of Maria's makes me want to have lemonade." :) The dress looks great on her. And did you see Radwanska's nails? They're a light green. Pistachio green maybe?

vika#1 fan
Ha ha ha you better watch out for Li NA match I think she is going to make Aza retire or quit from the match (as Aza always does) she is a fake #4
Maria is not quitter(unlike Aza) she is a fighter she is a Champion .
How old is Aza 21 or 22 right ? and she still slamless because of her mind not because of her her game.
We will see later who is right.
Anyway Congrats Mashenka 4 are gone 3 more to go.....

Go Maria!

Very good article Bobby and a very important step towards the title for Maria, she certainly looks determined out there.

Again we saw some very ugly tennis from Maria and some woefully poor consistency from Agnieszka. Leading 4-1 in the first, Radwanska couldn't muster enough good shots to challenge Sharapova's forehand. Radwanska's serve was weak and her returns were easily within striking distance of Sharapova who proceeded to blast her way back into the match.

But as Mr.Chintapalli suggested, Maria's free-swinging power was very much a double-edged sword. Sharapova nearly neutralized every good shot she made: seven aces were undercut by seven double faults; forty-seven winners were almost matched by forty-four unforced errors.

Radwanska's performance was mystifying, apparently confident and controlling for long stretches and then suddenly weak-kneed and clueless at critical moments. As it turned out, the player who executed with a will and a purpose was the winner. And Maria, dragging her errors behind her, was that player. Sharapova faces Andrea Petkovic in the quarters; Petkovic pounded her way to a moonwalking victory over Maria Kirilenko (6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in 2h 12m). But Maria you've got to clean up your form.

Hmmm, I think it's a little unfair to think about Maria being ahead of Venus even if she wins this tournament.

7 Grand Slams to 4 is still 7 Grand Slams to 4. If we just outright considered "The Grand Slam" is a possibly top criteria, than Andre Agassi is better than Pete Samparas. It's always better to question Justine vs Venus than Venus and Maria, Venus still wins.

Maria hasn't defended a Grand Slam title or almost rarely any tournament in her career. Serena, Venus, and Kim have defended titles, as well as won Grand Slams consecutively, something Sharapova has struggled to do, with the 2004, to 2006, to 2008, to still, who knows when still, being a factor.

But back to her great chances here, since she is still the favorite, though slightly, against Petkovic. The Shriester talked a lot of smack after winning in Miami against her, and the locker room and others will certainly remind Petkovic that very thing (if she didn't remind herself of that).

Sharapova was the favorite in Australia in that 4th round, and succumbed to the pressure, showing mental toughness only when she was down and out, but Petkovic still survived.

Andrea will be motivated, but the key in this match is Petkovic's forehand on Wednesday. Can she return well off on Sharapova's serve and be both steady and forceful with it consistently enough on the day?

If she does, then she will win. If not, then she will lose.

I'm so happy that Masha is in the quarters - and all the Masha haters and doubters can say what they like - It doesn't bother me today - She won an incredible victory and once again showed what a great fighter she is - If some people can not recognize that - *shrug* - then they 'll never be able to admit what a GREAT player and tennis personality Masha is

It's not only her amazing skills - There are probably better skilled players on the tour right now especially on clay - lemme see - Wozniacki? - um - Stosur?? - but none of them has the fighting spirit and the believe that she can not loose as Masha - That combination is lethal and as far as I can see - only the William sisters have proven to have the same qualities

Let's not whine about Masha's shriek - or about her serve - Yes - she made 7 double faults - but - besides her 7 aces - she had lots of well placed first and second serves as well - Yes - she made numerous errors - but the winners she ever so often hit were of top class - no doubt about it! - Radwanska's face in the second set revealed it all - She KNEW that she was going to loose when Masha held her serve and took the lead 65

Well done Masha - Petkovic next - She isn't impossible to defeat - All the whining about Masha's loss vs Petkovic in the AO is water under the bridge - Why not mention that Masha defeated the same Petkovic in the Miami semi finals - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVWEOh5ADXc - maybe not important enough to mention? - I mean - Come On!! - *lol*

And she's already been back since 2010.

She has been serving harder for months now way more than she did in 2004-2006, just like she was serving at the 2008 Aussie Open.

The problem for Sharapova in recent times has been well, what has been considered a supposed strength, but can be fragile, and that's the mind of hers.

She's gotten tight in big matches/finals recently(Kirilenko 2010 Aussie, Serena, where she had a set point at Wimbledon that she didn't take because she didn't believe, Clijsters in Cincinnati last summer, Wozniacki at the Open, Petkovic in Melbourne, and Wozniacki/Azarenka in Indian Wells/Miami respectively) and wasn't willing to change her tactics.

And lemme see - who predicted that Radwanska easily would kick Masha's lovely butt? - *points up** - Yeah - the same guy who's whining up there about Petkovic and her AO win and who'll never stop to belittle Masha whatever she does - What a pathetic looser!!! - *lmao*

What Alex87, Maria not a quitter?

Maria QUIT the rest of 2010 because she was devastated by the loss to Wozniacki at the Open. She didn't even show up for the Asian swing, where she is popular, to try and get into the Championships. Instead, Wozniacki's lost devastated her, because she definitely said in her mind, "That's it, how the hell did I lose that to her, when I owned her a few years."

She doesn't "quit" in matches, but she quited on the tour last year.

Hahaha, MashaFan, where did I say Radwanska was going to win? I said she had half a chance in this match, but I Sharapova should and would win....and she did. Just check my Twitter page and you'll see why: http://twitter.com/sluggahjells.

Your reading problems though, like, I don't know if they will help you understand though.

Masha Fan
I am so glad Kvitova is gone
I think Li Na could be way to much to handle for mentally weak Aza
From other side of this draw Kuzya is coming she is only player left with
this kind of experience(as Maria does have)
I don't think Scavi is gonna make a final but even she does she can't match Maria ....
Go Mashenka Go !!!

It's obvious that Jerell's animosity toward Maria is highly personal. Maybe his only (ever!) date, when he was so close to scoring, dumped him to watch Maria's match or something :)

Nope Justerer fan, just stating facts that paint the whole picture to combat your fanboys rossy picture of her true "mental toughness"!

Don't get upset at the facts I present about her, since you can't refute them whatsoever at all. ;)

Justerer fan
I think it's obviously Jarell is w's supporter
and for all w's sis supporters Maria is enemy #1 (Justin and Kim #2 and #3 respectively )he he he

Will someone please tell Sharapova and Azarenka that their racket isn't attached to their vocal cords. Thank goodness for mute.

Alex 87, please ;)

Again, when you get a chance to refute any of the facts I've said, then please post them in your next comment. I would love for you and other Shriester loyalties to see that.

And Serena and Venus have had far bigger rivals on tour if that's what you're referring to with the W's.....Justine, Kim, and in the past, Hingis, and Davenport were bigger rivals than Sharapova was for them. Let's have a rational perspective now.

@Jerell: saying that William sisters had tougher opponents all through their career are not facts but just assumptions...
Maria Sharapova beat Serena Williams, Justine Henin and Ana Ivanovic(all of them are grandslam champions) to win her slams. Saying that this is a weak era and none of Sharapova's opponenets are good enough is a really stupid statement.
And i dont understand one thing if you cant say anything nice about someone why do u even open your stupid mouth, just go and update your Twitter account where we Shapaova fans wont bother to read nor abuse them. And this is Sharapova's winning Racquet Reaction not "I hate Sharapova" Racquet Reaction...

by the way, I am a huge fan of Serena Williams and just a fan of Venus Williams...

Sharapova won against Radwanska despite her inconsistent play, that just goes to show how strong Maria is mentally, never gives up. She saved FIVE setpoints!!
And please Jerell, you were literally drooling over Radwanska in Maria Sharapova's previous racquet Reaction.. Any 3 year old kid would have understood.. you have no so called rational perspective, just some lame A$$ perspective.
I am a proud Maria Sharapova fan and I know her shortcomings as well as her strengths, no matter what, I'll always support her! I am quite realistic too abut her chances at FO. She couldnt slide on clay today and almost stumbled, but despite this she is trying her best to keep on winning and after every match you can see the happiness on her face, just like the picture above. She treats all matches like they were finals!
Go Maria!!

Suuny,

Where did I ever say "weak error", what are you reading? Don't be silly.

And yes, contrary to your thoughts, that is a fact. Venus and Serena played Lindsay and Martina more, as well Kim and Justine. They have more of a rivalry with Venus and Serena than Maria does. That's just an obvious fact.

That stat doesn't diminish Maria as a player at all, but that's just a fact .

Serena has only lost to Maria twice, and the 2nd was when she was hampered by injury, but she lost to Justine 3 times in the same year! Hello.

And Maria hasn't beaten Venus at a major, but Justine HAS!

So if you're a "fan" of Venus and Serena, you would know that instead of getting irrational and making wild statements like you did, or just being a terrible fan of theres.

Then again Sunny, I kind of do question you truly being a Williams fan but hey, if you say so.

And if you would read the comments on Bodo's blog, you know, if you actually READ them, you will see where I have complimented the Shriester a lot for her play and her being a survivor when she struggles, when she doesn't play with so much tension and nerves like she did at times today, especially in that 2nd set.

Now please, stop getting angry and causing you to make such silly posts.

It's easy to be confident against an Ivanovic that didn't win a major yet, or an Henin that felt pressure in that final and who Sharapova always feels she isn't scared by, or even a zapped out and unfocused Serena who was spent after being lucky to get through Mauresmo the prior day in a rain delayed semifinal.

Jerell!
Maria Sharapova is 24, If she had Kim, W's and Justine Henin, she'll have more slam champions to deal with in her future..
Maria Beat Justine Henin In AO 2008 and USO 2006, Serena Williams in Wimbledon 2004 and YEC 2004, Kim Clijsters in AO 2007..
Putting out facts about who beat whom is not going to take away the victories these players had against each other nor the slams that they have won..
I never said Maria is greater than any of these player, I just said I m a fan of Maria and she has many years to come to surpass these players... even if she doesnt that doesnt mean i would like her less..

Proud Sharapova fan, hahaha, hilarious.

Again, go back to what I said on the last RR. I said Aggie had a "half chance" to win. I NEVER said she would win, but again, I truly question your reading and understanding things since that was clearly stated by me.

And saved 5 set points? Lol, Aggie had some control on 3 of them, and gave those points to Sharapova. Maria wasn't in control of all those points.

Who is this Mcgregor or Mcgregon guy ???
I think his predictions are clueless(at least)....less than 30%...ha ha ha

Sunny, Maria is 24, do you know how many majors Venus and Serena had at this point??

Serena already had the Career Slam by then, and a few more majors, while Venus quickly got to 4 in a two year span of fast court consistent great tennis that truly was hard for any generation of player to defeat. Maria is still trying to get to 4, and we don't know if that will happen. Especially with the new wave of players, like Petkovic, who are improving day by day and are both athletic and don't really fear Maria like others do.

You are a Sharapova kad, and you don't have to lie saying you are a Williams fan too. You can just admit outright and all that you aren't, but it is up to you good sir. ;)

"It's easy to be confident against an Ivanovic that didn't win a major yet, or an Henin that felt pressure in that final and who Sharapova always feels she isn't scared by, or even a zapped out and unfocused Serena who was spent after being lucky to get through Mauresmo the prior day in a rain delayed semifinal."
If that doesnt show your hatred for Sharapova then what does?? taking away her victories by making excuses for her opponents..
Dont try to show that u judge all players equally by saying you said nice things about Maria on Bodo's blog! you'll embarass yourself

Sunny,

Also.....Serena NEVER slides on clay, and she didn't do that back then when she won. Andre Agassi never slides on clay.

Just because you don't slide on clay doesn't mean you are this supposed big courageous underdog that you or Mary Jo, or Tracy Austin love to heap gladly to make Sharapova's "aura" seem legendary.

It is quite hilarious indeed to me. Makes my day truly smile at such honest irrationality ;)

Hey, MashaFan:

If you're going to call someone a loser, you should spell the word correctly.

I am sorry...
Like i already said before "I never said Maria is greater than any of these player, I just said I m a fan of Maria and she has many years to come to surpass these players... even if she doesnt that doesnt mean i would like her less.."
SO why are you trying to compare Sharapova with anyone and show how great other players are?
And belittling ones achievement to show how better others are, is just so YOU!

@Jerell: Do u understand the meaning of a fan??
Do i care if Agassi could slide on clay or not??
In my eyes Maria is the best and your hate comments wont change it!

Sunny, no hatred.

When you are a feisty and gamed underdog with nothing to lose like she was against a little out of shape Serena, you have a mental advantage.

When you have Banana gate fuel you and all from your father in the stands and a shaky Henin on the other side who you are comfortable playing against, you have a mental advantage.

When you are the favorite against a talented but still inconsistently mentally player in Ivanovic, who doesn't have Grand Slam champion's aura credentials (at the time), you have a mental advantage.

No diminishing that at all. She just have a mental advantage in circumstances where it wasn't hard to see her having that.

Simply, when you stand up mentally to Sharapova, she isn't this great champion that some want to lump with Serena (or even Venus) or even other true legends of the game.

Sunny,
Simply my friend, just because you aren't a "slider on clay" doesn't mean you don't any chance to survive on clay.

Power and desperation is still a big equalizer to that, and the Shriester has that right now.

Jerell:

You have to admit that still separates her from a number of players on the WTA tour that still shrink in big moments even after winning major titles. Heck, there's a lot of players that shrink in small moments. More often than not, she rises to the occasion or at least goes down fighting. That puts her in the minority.

thank you for saying something posotive about Maria! :)
and your comments still speaks out loud that Maria doesnt deserve to be a slam champion... still making excuses for her opponents buddy... just try to give credit where credit is due..
its like u r saying Amelie doesnt deserve AO 2006 bcoz Justin wasnt fit...

Okay, I know that this is a taboo subject, but do you guys really think Sharapova weighs 130 lbs, as is claimed in the WTA media guide? Schiavone is 5'5.5" and lists her weight at 141. Something just doesn't sound right here.

Maria can control only her game, her health and her mind and not her opponents... if her opponents were outta shape or any other reason, does that mean Maria doesnt deserve to win all the slams that she has won???

What Would McEnroe Do?: exactly!! even in her loss against Andrea Petkovic, Maria gave a mini-battle in the last set before losing.

What Would Mac do,

You are right, and I have said that many of times.

The problem is that people like Mary Jo, and Tracey Austin, and most of the establishment/Shriester legions don't want to tell the full story, that along with her being a "never say die", Lleyton Hewitt version (in terms of tenacity, not playing style) on the women's side, that her tension has made her get nervous and frankly choke away some big matches or look fragile in them.

And supposed great champions don't choke away big match after match, or look mentally fragile in them.

A great fighter isn't always a great champion, but hey, everyone has their own standards of great champions.

And i can say for sure Maria at FO is much more stable than Maria was at AO!! Go Maria!

Jerell:

I think I agree. To me, Sharapova is pretty clearly on a tier lower than Venus or Henin. She's kind of an evolutionary Lindsay Davenport.

Sunny, never said Maria didn't deserved those titles. She was the best player in those tournaments for all 7 matches, though it also helped in the latter too that she didn't have to play Venus and Serena, especially in the 08 Aussie Open, when Serena was the best player in that tournament after 4 rounds, only to play arguably her worst Grand Slam quarterfinal ever against Jankovic.

That loss was a gift wraped for Sharapova, who instead of having to play Serena a year after the "Demolition of Down Under", got to play Jelena, who she always relishes playing.

Yup McEnroe,

A more intense, better athletic, version of Davenport (or a mentally more focused Mary Pierce).

Actually, I say more "athletic Davenport". There was more fluidity to Mary Pierce's strokes, where I say Ana Ivanovic comes closes to Mary Pierce 2.0 in my mind.

Jerell - please quite down. You remind me of SamE, you always need to put someone down to prop up your favorite player.

Question to the TW powers that be - why on earth did we not get a racquet reaction for the Li Na/Kvitova match? It was easily the most interesting match of the day after Monfils/Ferrer, with big shots, bigger momentum swings, and one of the pre-tournament favorites going out against a someone who made the finals in the last slam. Plus, Li Na won the last 6 games after being down 0-3 in the 3rd.

If Maria wins the French Open in a few days, she would be the first WTA player in the Open Era to win 4 Slams which would complete the Career Slam in the process. (Jerell, No on Serena doing this because she won the USO again before the Australian)

Northernboy,

Because Peter wrote about it on his blog??? #NorthernBoyFail

And not putting down, just putting in the proper perspective, simple as that.

And yup Master Ace, win the first four with them being different.

I can't understand what good it does to present "facts" which only purpose are to belittle a player - no matter if these "facts" are true or not

What wiser does it makes us to read "facts" presented in such a way that it deprives a great tennis player her honor and hurts her fans?

JERELL doesn't understand these things - he post these facts not to educate or to enlighten - he does it for malicious reasons - and that makes him pathetic - and an heartless person

It's no idea to try to discuss with such a person - cause such persons are always full of themselves - They never reflect - How have people like JERELL become this way? - *shrug* - Maybe because not even their mothers were able to love them? - *lol*

Sharap ought to win the title. Knowing that it probs means she won't! But if she did it would be down to sheer will. She is the most motivated, never-say-die player I've ever seen. Early in her career - I wasn't the biggest fan, but being able to recognize how highly she values each point, set, match and title, how can you not root for her? And frankly it would be great for the WTA if she won...

jerell is a bit like serena, always has a good reason - other than her opponent being better day - for losing.

Jerell and McEnroe: Yes Sharapova is definitely a more evolved, more athletic form of Davenport. Not to mention more of a fighter. Wir

And lemme see - re AO 2008 - Didn't Sharapova first defeated the #1 Henin in the quarters and Ivanovic - still at her best in the finals? - See - facts can be twisted to spread poison and irrelevant statements - His insane explanation about Serena/Jelena and how easy it was for Sharapova to win the AO 2008 is illogical and lack any credence

What is it JERELL really want to say in his 05/30/2011 at 06:49 PM post? - Isn't it obvious for everyone yet that his "facts" in fact are just meant to spread shit about an honorable player and champ?

With Lindsay, if it was a bad day, serve wasn't clicking, timing was off, and she was just sick of the tour that put her in, oh I don't know, some European clay court event, she was probably out. And sometimes this was the case, as we saw numerous times at majors, at bigger events where she'd shrink against the fiery Williams Sisters, granted she managed a few wins (04 Us open comes to mind) Sharapova to me is stronger in the sense that she won't back down from smacking the ball whether is means smacking the ball to a straight

Sets defeat to a player in the bottom fifty or smacking the ball to hard fought, three set come back against a top ten player.

Pardon the multiple posts, these clumsy fingers on an iPad trip the post button in the middle of a rant, oops

Sharapova once again bludgeoned her way to victory with her ugly, one-dimensional play. What a pity that the more creative interesting players like Radwanska can't match the power. Sharapova's competitiveness and stamina make her a good athlete, not necessarily a good tennis player. Shrieking aside, her swinging volleys instead of a good old overhead smash (a la Schiavone), and her lousy movement are just painful to watch. Hope Kuznetsova or Schiavone can make it again!

not a very clean match for Maria to say the least.. but a win is a win, not to mention to a tricky and defensive player like Radwanska. I was like almost freaking out when Radwasnka was leading in the 2nd set after Maria got the early break. but then again her tenacity and unwilling to lose a point made the difference.

Petcovic in the quarters, it would be much harder than the 4th round. Whatever happened the previous matches with Petcovic, on wednesday it is a new match and a new surface.

Maria in 3!!! DAVAI!

I'm confused as to why so many people dislike Maria on these blogs/reports?? Why even read an article about her win today if you think shes being over-hyped??

I'm just curious -all you people who share Jerell's p.o.v.- why you don't like Maria? To me, she embodies all of the things that make the WTA interesting: surprisingly strong power (I mean look at how skinny her arms are and they generate that kind of pace!), tenacity, and a good backstory (her comeback from surgery). In my opinion, ATP matches sometimes feel a bit too mechanical, with so little mistakes and such extended rallies. The drama in Masha's matches is great, the emotion and determination she puts into every point (and grunt) is compelling. She lives and dies by her own racquet. This is the SAME REASON I love Vee and Serena so much -they're also great fighters and their matches often feel like wars. I much prefer them to someone like Wozniacki, who waits for her opponent to lose it rather than snatch the win herself.

I get why people are annoyed by the commentators, their praise does seem a bit early imo. (Even as a big fan of Maria's, I would be very surprised if she ends up winning the French -I've gotten too used to being disappointed by her right when I think its finally time for her next major breakthrough at a slam.)

But the commentators, especially the old, out-of-touch ones like Cliffy and Ted Robinson (ughhh the dweeb) or the ones who are brought in from ESPN just to host and don't really know that much about tennis besides the big names, are ALWAYS kinda annoying and often seem like they only see the grand slam events, rather than staying on top of the other tournaments in between. Claiming that the reason ur a Sharapova hater is because of the commies being misinformed about her and smothering her in compliments seems like a cop-out. Just say it: you don't like Sharapova because you feel like she hasn't done enough to deserve all the attention she gets.

But come on, she's won more grandslams than almost ALL of the women playing currently in the WTA (excluding Vee and Serena who are MIA till at leastttt Wimby and that seems like a stretch frankly) and shes a bonafide star for the WTA. In lieu of anyone else rising to the occasion, it makes sense to me that the commies are talking about Maria a lot. Even that they're calling her a "favorite" -I mean, she is the fourth highest seed left in the tourney isn't she, and has the most majors of any player left in the draw, which is experience that's going to be invaluable against the rest of this mostly inexperienced field. They're gonna continue talking about her until she gives them a reason not to.

frenchopen11,

When Maria gets open and isn't too defensive, she is a very likable person.

The problem is that Maria has been programmed to be so competitive that it's hard for her to consistently be nice to fellow players on tour (and journalists, where she can be bitterly sarcastic) . She's been known to sadly be......kind of fake (and really mean for no reason), especially when it comes to doing public events or places with positive fellow players, with barely any consistent kindness.

It's like she's programmed to be competitive on AND off the court almost all the time, and I find that a little sad that she really doesn't have a true friend now on tour at the moment (and also pleasing to at least see Sasha be that love rock for her).

But this is life, and people are different because life would be boring if it were. I just can't get behind or even admire a player fully who is a questionable character with the corporate glorious wrapping as still a golden, class act girl.

However, winning tennis is winning tennis. And no one can't deny she's a fierce competitor.......She just isn't a great champion yet (and still may or may never be) in my view.

MashaFan (Lacky),

Justine was worn out from their great battle at the Championships and her terrific 2007, where she was on the start off burning out and on her decline. Sharapova was ripped to overpower her that day, and did she ever.

Now, again, instead of having to deal with Serena and deal with her nerves and the belief that she just can't beat Serena again in her mind (and it's still there now), she was given Jankovic, one of the people she clearly delights in overpowering and showing who's boss.

Ivanovic didn't even win her French Open yet (who she did beat Sharapova though, as Maria played a terrible match in Paris in that semifinal). So, there we go with that.

Go Maria! A fan of Maria and hope she wins it!

Congrat Maria, three more and you win the FO slam

You know Jerell, even though Sharapova was on fire during AO 2008, that QF between her and Justine really was the overture to Justine's decline, granted that 3+ hour YEC in Madrid probably did take it's toll. Unfortunately for Justine, Australia became the realization that even with a top seeding, she couldn't run forever. For Maria, 2007 was a whole year full of experiences beginning with the Demolition Down Under and ending with the Marathon in Madrid

Jerell,

Why try to discredit many of Sharapova's wins. In Wimbledon she beat an in-great form Lindsay Davenport and Serena, at the US open she knocked out Mauresmo and then crushed Henin, and then again she beat Henin during her Australian open run. In every major she's won she has beaten the number 1 player in the draw on the way to the title/in the final, so just suck it up and realize that although she may not be as amazing as some people make her out to be, she's earned each of her slams and is an amazing fighter.

Oh and btw, am I the only one who finds it odd that the last time Sharapova reached a GS QF was at this very Slam in 2009

I'm right there with you Greener Grass. If someone had told me in 2009 that Maria's first two Slam quarterfinal appearances after surgery would be at the French I would've laughed my head off. Just shows how much of a fighter she is on a surface that isn't her favorite.

JERELL - FOR YOUR INFORMATION, Maria did not play the Asian swing in 2010 because she got SICK. She played Tokyo for one match and lost and then she played in Beijing as well but lost. You said, she wasnt present in the Asian swing. And you said that she was demolished by Wozniacki for the whole season after that US OPEN loss. That was WRONG. PLEASE check your facts before posting. She still won a round at Beijing. Secondly, just like the previous RR posts about Maria, if like posting HARSH comments about her, then please, JUST GET AWAY FROM THIS PAGE. Why would you want to waste your time, arguing with other FANS of hers trying to prove your case?!? JUST GET OFF ALREADY.

The point is sharapova is the best....jerrell u shut up....maria will win it easily!!if she wins against petkovic..then roland garros 2011 champion=maria sharapova

Petkovic vs Sharapova... two wilds animals in court... must see this match!

Jerell, why don't you go play in the sandbox with SamE?

The Sharapova fans crack me up comparing her to Vee who currently has double the number of slams as she does. They constantly put down player like Vika because they fear she can beat their favorite. Pathetic!!

and Caro has how many slams? ZERO!!!!!!!!!!!

WOZNIACKI FANS CRACK ME UP. Comparing her to FORMER NUMBER 1s in the world. Pffftttttttttt. Caro fans constantly put others down. And when Caro is out of the tournament, they completely SHUT UP. (which is a good thing). Everyone knows who this is directed to.........

The funny thing here is how people are trying to explain Maria GS victories by wether saying her draw was easy (no Serena AO 2008) or that great players were not at their best at the time.
Wtf?
I mean, she won those tournaments, even against the top shape Serena in 2004 (and since then, Serena fans can't bear to see Maria winning).
If she wins FO 2011, I guess those same people will argue Serena, Vee, even Justine were not there (well, they've already said that)...and that Kim was eleminated fastly.
Hey guys, is it her fault if the Williams are ''sick'' since 10 months, if Justine retired and if Kim was too bad to pass the secound round?
Anyways, there will always be some haters to find a hundred reasons in order to explain Maria's lucky win, but that won't change the fact she had won.

When Serena won her career GS, it was probably beacause Graff, Evert, even Court and Jean King were not playing...lucky her. (pathetic)

Maria' haters are jealous because Maria has earn more money than any other female athlete in the world.Forbes magazine reported that in the year ending in may 2011 Maria made 24.5 millons, in 1910 she make 25 millon and every year before that. Maria has more than 4 million and a half fans in Face book that is more the W sistas, Wozniaki and Ivanovich combined. She is adding more that 200,000 new fans every month.
Maria adds beauty, glamour and star power to the tour, in other words the WTA needs Maria more than she needs the WTA.
The WTA is not an American institution any more, the markets are expanding all over the world except in the USA, more than half of the WTA revenues come from overseas as a result of this new reality the American players are irrelevant( there are none in the top 20) to the global market
We need Maria at the top of women’s tennis, not the W sistas...

Sharapova barely got past Radwanska. If Sharapova is as good as everyone would like the the tall blond to be, she should have plummeted Radwanska. Aggie's average serve speed was 82 miles an hour. Aggie has no weapons other than consistency. It should not have taken Sharapova 2 hours to win. Is Maria back at the top of her game? Not. She is capable of winning this slam absent Clijsters, Venus, Dementieva, Henin and of course Serena.

Of course she can win this slam. The only real formidable player in the draw is Kutznetsova and Azarenka. Womens tennis is lacking in depth & strength right now. No real #1, 2 or 3 for that matter. So Sharapova should win.....no one tough in the draw!

I am no Sharapova fan, however, she is light years better than Wozniacki. No comparison. She beat Wozniacki two weeks ago on clay. Why? Because Sharapova played her own game against Wozniacki and did not try to beat Wozi with her backboard game. I was glad the better player won.

Hantuchova did the same thing to Wozniacki. WTA players are no longer going head to head with Wozniacki with her long, stay in the rally, backboard game. They are taking her out of her game and making Wozi play theirs. Bring some game Wozniacki and relinquish your title until your #1 seed is earned by beating the best and winning a slam. I'm pulling for the under dog Schiavone!

Denise
AGAIN, this absent Clisjters thing...do you refuse to see that she LOST in the secound round? She is not ABSENT, she was present and lost!
Seriously, this is pissing me off.
And stop with Henin...I mean, she did the AO 2010 final, but she had not reach further than 4r in Slam afterwards.

And again, since when the Williams are a threat at RG? Serena had not reach teh semis since 2003 and Venus had not since 2002. I love the Williams but seriously, clay's not their surface.

And what is the thing with barely got past?
Yes, she struggled, but it is still two straight sets...

kidman,

Everyone knows Serena was not in shape that tourney and match. Don't be mad because it is true, lol.

Kidman,

Serena is a threat on every surface no matter what, where she has been a threat many years after, you know, winning the tournament.

I love the these Shriester legions than then bring up her money as to prove her greater than Serena or Venus, and even currently, Wozniacki and Azarenka.

Makes me laugh and all so very much. You people entertain me with your hate of Serena and Venus, and not

To the Caro hating Sharapova fans, her free ride is OVA.

SamE, just saw your girl!

http://www.tennisnow.com/images/wozniacki-is-a-beast.jpg

Well, the money does not show she is greater, she's just more powerful outside tennis. It's no secret that she is more popular than any other player

Jerell, a threat is Vee Williams at Wimbledon and Serena in pretty much every tournament, but not those on clay...seriously, she has won 2 titles on clay since 2002 and has not been in a semi at RG since 2003. That is not what I call a threat.
Don't get me wrong here, I know Serena is a better player and one of the best of all time and I like her, but to say she's a threat on clay is illogical.

+ Maria beated her up at the year-end championship hihi ;)

Kidman,

Venus is a threat at the open. She has been a few points away from beating Clijsters, the player who has, you know, went on to win that tournament.

Kidman,

WHAAT??

Serena lost to the eventual winners of this tournament in close sets many times, both to Justine and Sveta, besides winning. So yes, Serena is a THREAT everywhere. She is the best player clearly, unlike, say, your muse Shriester.

And aaaaaw, Roger.

That would be funny if it was the real Shriester posting her, because I would believe she would do something like that.

Hum...I don't read the part where I'd said that Maria was the best player and my muse...I actually can see the part where I stand that Serena is better and one of the best. Bad faith...
It's interesting to see how many people cannot be objective when talking about their favorite players...
I love Sharapova, but I am able to see her weakness when it comes and I am able to recgonize Serena is better than her.
Unfortunately, there are some observations you cannot do about Serena.
And once again, don't get me wrong again, I would have want Venus to take this US Open, and especially win over Clijister (who I hate) and I am counting the days until the comeback of the sisters.

Jerell, I understand what you're saying about Maria being competitive on AND off the field. I agree she can be (though she's often charming and funny in interviews -lets be fair.) But you seem to be a huge Serena fan, and lets be honest Serena acts the same EXACT way a lot of the time. When she loses she's rude to the journalists and extremely sarcastic. Not to mention she usually doesn't give her opponent hardly any credit for winning; its always about how she Serena played so badly and they just had to keep it in the court. Serena and Vee don't have many friends on the WTA tour (Serena more so). They both claim to be more interested in winning matches than making friends. (Like Maria.) It seems hypocritical to say you don't like Sharapova because she can't turn off her competitiveness even when she's in interviews, but ignore it with Serena. (Vee, who I kinda like more than Serena, I must say -but mostly just because she's always been more of the underdog in their rivalry- seems a lot friendlier and more gracious is defeat.) Serena is definitely the more accomplished champion, but I don't think you can dislike Maria for something Serena is equally guilty of.

Personally, I cheer for both Maria and Serena, two of my favorites; their intensity off the court is a testament to why I love them both, it represents their tenacity and fighting spirit at the big moments. Honestly, Maria's actions off the court do not overshadow her accomplishments on it -I don't think you can argue that fact.

"Everyone knows Serena was not in shape that tourney and match. Don't be mad because it is true, lol. " -Jerell

If Serena loses, it's cause she wasn't in shape according to Jerell. According to me and the general world of logic, is Serena lost cause she wasn't in shape, it means someone else was in better shape than her, and was thus BETTER. So Serena was the worse players and deserved to lose.

"Serena is a threat on every surface no matter what, where she has been a threat many years after, you know, winning the tournament." - Jerell

And I quote Kidman: "And again, since when the Williams are a threat at RG? Serena had not reach teh semis since 2003 and Venus had not since 2002. I love the Williams but seriously, clay's not their surface."

Seriously Jerell. That was 8 years ago. You're tripping. Bang up got knocked on the head by a tennis ball travelling at the speed of the Williams sisters' service delivery. Get a life. I know you think you have one. But Serena-worship doesn't qualify little man.

I'm not surprised Jerell is here. Seriously, dude, why do you have to be in all of Sharapova's RR and profess your hate towards her? You know Maria's fans are gonna be here and will defend her no matter what, then you're gonna say that her fans make you laugh. Is that what you're gonna be doing while the Ws are out? Get a life, or go to Bartoli's RR.

Oh dear, he we go about, more Sharapova's fans mad because I say truth about the player.

Again, everyone knows that Serena was not in good condition as she should have been. That's not an excuse for her, and Maria deserved it more. I'm just stating a fact, just like how Serena was injured at the Championships.

I just laugh at how you guys get so mad at me just saying truths about a player. If you know me, I criticize Serena and Venus too whenever they deserve it or don't get their opponent some credit.

And "little man", really, "I Luv Tennis", that's childish from you. I find it quite funny.

Again, Serena has lost to the eventful champion or finalists many times at Roland Garros deep in the tournament, and they have to play their best matches to beat her. EVERYONE in the locker room and journalists say she's a threat everywhere she plays, and look at the oddsmakers odds the last few years.

Don't be daft, everyone that's rational says that. Don't be angry because it's true.

Plus, Venus played well in the buildup last year, beating good players in Rome before Rezai just played a better final than her.

frenchopen11,

They have more friends than Maria does, lol, and they are barely on tour like that.

Venus is one of the leaders in regards to helping prize money get up for women's tennis, she has been prominent with that in the locker room. Also, Serena is close when she is to Sveta, to Caroline, and to Victoria , as well as a few of the guy players like Roddick, Verdasco, Karlovic and a few others, as well as Venus still being cool with the Bryans brothers.

Jerell,

It's not really fair to use Serena's being out of shape as the reason she lost the '04 Wimbledon final b/c she was more out of shape in the '07 Aussie final and still thrashed Maria. So simply stated Maria was the better player in the Wimbledon final.

I can see your point about Maria being somewhat cold and distant even off court towards the other players, but if you read the interview with her a couple days ago the reason she does that is b/c she does not feel it is in her best interests to make friends with someone she'll have to play two days later in the tourney. Also, Maria is seemingly a very nice person in her interviews. Sure she is sarcastic, but she is also very praising when it is deserved and more of a philosophical and gracious loser than Serena ever was. Heck, Serena would blame a loss on herself every time Henin took her to town; that doesn't seem like a gracious person to me.

All that to say I don't disagree that Maria is not in the same league as Serena, Venus, and Henin. They are still a step above her I believe. But she is a great player. And all you seem to do in your posts is put her down. And if you do compliment her it is always followed by some excuses of how a certain skill only mediocre player.

So do us all a favor and quit posting on Maria's articles. If you don't like it don't read it. Plain and simple.