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Australian Open Quarter-Final Interview

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Q. Pretty commanding performance?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it was solid today. You know, I thought she was going to play really well today coming off a big win, probably her biggest in her career. It was just really important for me to not give her much of a look at the open court.

You know, I just really wanted to take advantage of my game and improve from the previous match. I think I stepped up when I had to.

Q. A bit of impatience and excitement to put it away at the end?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Of course. It's a big stage. I played well throughout the match. Obviously it went back and forth. She got a lot of balls back.

But it was great to finish it.

Q. How do you feel going up against Kvitova in the next match?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It will certainly be tough. I've lost to her the last couple of times ‑ obviously the big one in Wimbledon where she played really well.

I think she's the one to beat right now, playing the best tennis in her career. Coming off of so many wins last year, I'm looking forward to the matchup. I don't like losing so many times in a row. So I'll certainly be going out there and trying to play my best.

Q. Out of that Wimbledon final, what do you take from that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, she played quite deep and hard, served extremely well. The chances that I had, she just came up with better shots in that match. She was certainly the better player.

Yeah, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow and see how that goes.

Q. I guess before playing your match you didn't have the time to watch the other match. Did you see little pieces of that and what was your impression of both Errani and Kvitova in that match?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I did get a chance to watch a little bit. Very different styles of play. Errani is someone that moves extremely well, gets a lot of balls back, mixes up the pace, whereas I think Petra kind of dominates more with her pace. I think in the end that's what hurt her opponent today.

Yeah, she obviously played the better match today.

Q. How is your fitness? Do you feel confident in your body, being able to get around the court?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, good. I came in here without any matches. Taking some extra time to just practice, get physically a hundred percent. So I think that was really important for me.

But obviously when you do that, you also take the chance of coming in a little bit rusty, not knowing how things will go, where your game is. But I'm very happy to be at this stage.

Q. Roger Federer said yesterday he was quite surprised to see how intense the women are during their matches, a lot of fist pumping. You've always done a bit of that. Do you sense that the women are expressing themselves a bit more or is that an indication of how competitive it is at the moment?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I can only speak for myself in terms of how I feel on the court. I've always been a big competitor. I treat every opponent with respect. I know my opponent can play good tennis. So I try to be tough with every point that comes, no matter if it's easy or hard.

I certainly fight, give it my all till the end, yeah.

Q. What is your reaction to the fact that Errani is only 10 days younger than you and they say is a newcomer, and you're not a newcomer? They almost call you a veteran. Two different ways to be 24 years old. How do you see it?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I always say that everyone achieves different things at different times in their career. Everyone has a different path to their success. Everyone has a different path in their careers. Not one person is the same. Everyone is different. Some people start playing tennis later. Some become professional later. Some play juniors, some don't.

I mean, it doesn't really matter. I think it's maybe more of a story in a way. I mean, I personally have taken the only route I've known, and I guess everyone else has their own ways of developing and achieving this and that in different ages, yeah.

Q. I remember a few years ago you said you didn't see yourself able to play until 30 years old or so. Have you changed your mind?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't think I ever said 30. I think when I was 18, I probably would have said 25 (laughter). But things change.

Yeah, I'm sure when I was 17 years old and someone said, You'll be playing for another eight years, it would be like, Yeah, really, you're not going to see me at a press conference at 25 years old.

But years go on. I missed a year in my career. I didn't play that year. I've said this, just before the tournament, a few weeks before, I woke up and I was jut so happy to be going back on the court. I felt so fresh, full of energy, just with a really good perspective.

Times change, obviously. I see myself playing this sport for many more years because it's something that gives me the most pleasure in my life. I think it helps when you know you're good at something, and you can always improve it. It obviously helps with the encouragement.

Q. Jimmy Connors stopped at 40 years old?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I can guarantee right now you're not going to see me here at 40 years old. If I'm here at 40 years old, I have major problems (laughter). Oh, goodness.

Q. Physically how do you feel compared to Wimbledon coming into this match against Petra?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, we're playing on a different court. Obviously, the grass is different. The ball stays a lot lower. Here the conditions are a lot slower than a grass court. Very difficult to compare. The points are a lot quicker on a grass court than they would be. I'm sure even if you're playing the same opponent, they're going to be a bit longer here than on grass.

It's tough to compare physically how you feel. But movement‑wise I feel really good.

Q. A bunch of players this week have made comments talking about how they think the noise that you and Azarenka in particular make is excessive?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Who?

Q. Radwanska was one player that said she thinks the noise you and Azarenka make is excessive and she'd like to see the WTA change the rules to prohibit that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Isn't she back in Poland already?

Q. Yes.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: When did she get a chance to say that?

Q. After she lost her quarterfinal.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: She lost the match?

Q. Yes.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: You've sure obviously asked me this question before. I've heard it a few times over my career. You've watched me grow up, you've watched me play tennis. I've been the same over the course of my career. No one important enough has told me to change or do something different.

I've answered it many times before. I'm sure I'll answer it many more times ahead. I'm okay with that.

Q. If there was a rule change, how do you think it would affect you if you had to stop?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Right now there is no rule change. I don't hear that there will be one, so it doesn't really matter what my answer would be, would it?

Q. With the No. 1 spot up for grabs this week, how much of a motivation is that for you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It is. But I think I've been fortunate enough to be in that position before. I think the girls that are trying to get that position haven't been in that position before. It's a little bit different because I feel like I've experienced both things in my career: winning Grand Slams and being No. 1 in the world. You can't compare the two.

I try to improve in order to win Grand Slams. That's my goal. The more Grand Slams you win, the better your ranking is going to be, yeah.

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Australian Open Semi-Final Interview

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Q. Your emotions at the end of the match seemed to show that this just meant a fair bit to you, this opportunity.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Absolutely. It means so much to be back in a Grand Slam final, a stage I have been to before few years ago here. It's nice to get that far again after losing quite early in the last couple of years.

So, yeah, it means a lot to me. I played someone that's just had really great results and has beaten me the last couple of times. I just really wanted it today.

Yeah, I fought to the last point. You know, she had so many opportunities in that third set, and I just hung on and just really went for it.

Q. That last win here seems a long time ago. How different are you from now till then?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, yeah, it's a few years ago. I don't know. Every year is different. Just in terms of obviously you grow a little bit older, you know, a lot of things in your life happen.

But at the end of the day, to get back at that stage is special.

Q. How daunting will be it be for Azarenka going into her first Grand Slam final. How do you think she will be feeling?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I played Petra in her first Grand Slam final. She played really highquality tennis out there on the grass, and, you know, she went out there and it didn't really affect her.

So, you know, even though Victoria hasn't really been in that stage of a Grand Slam before, she's certainly won big titles and she has the experience.

This is a stage she's wanted to be at for a long time, so I do expect her to play really good tennis.

Q. What do you think is different today compared to that Wimbledon final? What do you think you did better?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, in the first set I felt like my pace hurt her a bit. I was just really aggressive. I didn't give her a chance to really step in and do what she does really well.

You know, it was really  it's always, you know, against an opponent where you have kind of similar games where we're both very aggressive players and pretty powerful shots, you know, if she's dictating from the start and I'm always in the defense, and points are usually going to go her way.

I try to take that away from her. In the second set it was one break and I couldn't get it back. Obviously she was up a break in the third. I managed to get it back. Just hung on.

There were so many games where it was 1540, Love30 on my serve, and actually on those points hit some pretty big serves, and then, you know, in the last game made some returns, you know; whereas in the whole third set she was serving quite well.

I didn't feel like I had too many good looks on returns. In the third set, that last game of the third, I really managed to get some returns back.

Q. That challenge you made at 4All in the third it was Love30, would have been Love40 how sure were you of that call, and how much of a turning point do you think that was? Seemed the momentum totally changed in the end after that.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: You never really know until you challenge and you just see on the screen. Um, yeah, sometimes you feel like it was in by a mile, and you look at the challenge and just embarrassing that you even asked for the call. (Smiling).

But I did feel like that one was very close, and it was right on the line. So, yeah, it's obviously an important point.

Q. Did that change momentum?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, yeah, but it was still  you know, it's not like I got that point. It was still Love30, so you had to play that point over and still try to win the game from Love30.

Q. You had some trouble with your serve. You had the 10 double faults and everything. What was going on there?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, I did, but I felt like in the important moments I had some really good serves. And like I said, in the games where I was down Love30 and 1540, I hit some really good second serves. I think she wanted to step in and maybe go for it, and I was smart about that.

Yeah, so in the end obviously would like to see that number lower. But when you're playing, you know, an opponent that has a really good return, sometimes you go for it a little bit more. If you end up missing some, sometimes it can help you.

Because if you hit pretty slow first serves just to get them in or second serves, your opponent is going to take advantage of that.

Q. You won a title so early in your career. Do you get the sense you can appreciate the opportunity a little bit more now?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I do. This is obviously what I train for and why I go out on the court and try to improve for moments like this.

You have them four times a year, and these are the big ones for us, the important ones. It's really where you kinda have to find a way to win and step up when it really matters.

You know, today was just a good example of that for me. I felt like I was down and out. There are times where, you know, I felt like she was just returning too good. I just kept going for it.

Q. Has it been frustrating at times to not get back to that Grand Slam title after having that success earlier?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It's the way my career path has gone, and I don't regret anything that has happened. Obviously it would have been nice not to have a serious injury at 21 years old, but sometimes it's just the way things go.

Good thing is that I found a way to come back.

Q. Did you ever consider you wouldn't get back to your best?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, I mean, as positive as I always try to be, you always question what you're doing, obviously, because sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't.

And especially just with the shoulder I think it was I knew some examples of some people that did not quite recover from surgery and that was a little frightening, but I really had no option.

So it was either give it a go or not do anything about it. Of course it took a long time and it was a process, but it was just something that was in my steps that I had to go through.

And I did.

Q. Do you feel better than ever now?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I feel happy and excited that I still have a chance to play the sport and play it at this level and be in a Grand Slam final.

Q. How long did it actually take you to find a serve that you were comfortable with once you came back to the game?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, when I came back I had to start with a different motion because, I mean, I wanted to come back so early. I couldn't quite come back as early as I wanted to.

It came to a point where if you don't want to hurt things, then, you know, maybe you have to make some adjustments. That was probably a tough adjustment, because even though I changed motions many times in my career, I had to really go to a really different one which was very short and very compact.

I was not used to that because I have long arms and I'm just used to kind of longer things and longer swings. But I had to do that in the beginning, and that was the toughest thing, yeah.

Q. Victoria has beaten you in two finals before?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I mean, she's a really, really good player, and like you said, I haven't had great success against her in the last couple of events that we've played against each other.

I'd really like to change that. Yeah, it will be important to tactically play right. You know, she makes you hit a lot of balls and she's aggressive, as well.

But, yeah, it's the final, so...

Q. So is there a really aggressive mindset that you need, too?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah. If I'm playing well, that's usually kind of how my game is. If I'm playing defensive or on the defense, then my chances are pretty bad.

Q. Is it tough to play an opponent that has such a similar game to you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, today or in general?

Q. Well, Victoria I think might have a more similar game to you than Petra does.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, but everyone is different, and I guess that's why we play against each other. I don't think two players are the same. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

But, yeah, I don't think it really matters.

Q. This is going to be a headtohead battle for No. 1 ranking. Does that add anything to it, do you think?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Um, having been in the position before, doesn't really to me. I think personally, for me, it's more about the Grand Slam win than the No. 1 ranking.

That's just always been the goal for me.

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Sharapova Looks To Come Full Circle

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The stoical public face that Maria Sharapova put on during the first two years following her shoulder surgery did not always reflect the inner turmoil that was going on inside her when she couldn’t rediscover her Grand Slam-winning game.

So when she walks on court for the 2012 Australian Open women’s final against Victoria Azarenka on Saturday, she will look to complete a marathon “comeback†from an injury that is nearly four years old.

While the girl who once stepped off the bus with her father at the age of seven in the United States with little money and no English has developed a good life perspective, losing her high place in the sport was not easy for her. When the former No. 1 dropped out of the top 10 rankings, inside, she cried hard.

So if she manages to lift her first Grand Slam trophy for the first time she reigned supreme in Melbourne in 2008, expect a flood of emotion to come out. It might sound like a cliché, but another Slam title would mean the world to her.

“As positive as I always try to be, you always question what you're doing, obviously, because sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't,†she said after her gutsy semifinal win over Petra Kvitova. “And especially with the shoulder ‑‑ I knew some examples of some people that did not quite recover from surgery and that was a little frightening, but I really had no option. So it was either give it a go or not do anything about it. Of course it took a long time and it was a process, but it was just something that was in my steps that I had to go through. And I did.â€

While Sharapova vowed to return to the tour at 100 percent and took 10 months off to recover from her October 2008 surgery, her arm was still relatively weak until at least half way through 2010, and then it still occasionally bothered her – hence all the number of times she has changed her service motion. Even though she returned to the WTA in tip-top shape (she had little else but to do but work the rest of her body when she wasn’t allowed to hit), it took her a while to get her tennis legs back, her rhythm and most of all, her confidence.

On the no mercy women’s circuit, her opponents couldn't care less what she had done before and ignored the public address announcers who listed her multiple achievements, including her title runs at '04 Wimbledon, the '06 US Open, the '08 Australian Open and a stint at No. 1.

She had to accept that the road back to success would be littered with many mini-failures.

"It's the first time in my life where I couldn't practice for such a long period of time," she said. "Everything about it was just bizarre. It was some things were just taken away from your life. In a strange way, it's a little calming. Even though it's obviously stressful because you don't know if you're ever going to get the chance to be out here again and you always have to be positive. Don't get me wrong, there are many days where I was really hesitant, and you try to do the best things, but there are so many different paths, voices and so many opinions, and at the end of the day, you have to try and choose the right one."

What really befuddled her was how many times she heard that as the worlds' richest women's athlete (today, she is estimated to make around $23 million per year off-court), that she might go the way of another attractive Russian player, Anna Kournikova, who quit the game prematurely because of an injury and because she no longer enjoyed the heat of high competition. That is not the 24-year-old, who does have outside interests, but who learned to love life in between the white lines.

"Tennis drives everything, drives myself, drives my business, drives everything that I do," Sharapova said back in 2010. "You miss it, you want to be out there. It's from the hour you're in the locker room and putting your dress on, to the 15 minutes before your match where you're warming up and you're pumping yourself up and going to get out there in front of 20,000 people. I certainly missed it."

It wasn’t until the spring of 2011 that she began to look like her consistent imposing self, tearing the covers of balls off the ground, returning with vengeance and delivering cold stares across the court after blasting massive winners. Her serve is still a work in progress and she is proned to double faulting, partly because she’s still not comfortable with her motion, partly because there are days when due to her surgery that she cannot feel the ball coming off her racquet, and partly because she is extremely stubborn and refuses to slow down her second serve as she prefers to smack them in above the 90 mph range, faster than most women on tour attempt.

She leads the tournament in service games won at 84 percent, has saved 31 of the 40 break points she faced (78% ), and has ripped a tournament-leading 23 return of serve winners. Add to that 77 forehand winners, and you have a woman who appears to be prepared to face the equally hard-hitting Victoria Azarenka, who has feasted upon Sharapova’s serves in their last few meetings.

The Los Angeles-based Russian is putting aside the battle for No. 1 – it’s another Australian crown that she most desires.

“I think personally, for me, it's more about the Grand Slam win than the No. 1 ranking,†she said. "That's just always been the goal for me.â€

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