With a title in Rome and a runner up finish at Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova is back in the elite of women's tennis. Winner fo 3 Grand Slam titles, Maria Sharapova made a fine start to the American summer hardcourt season with a few nice wins under her belt. However, a disappointing loss handed by a resurgent Serena Williams left Sharapova wondering if her impressive rise this season was really worth challenging the hegemony of the Williams sisters. With a fresh mind and loads of title winning aspirations, Sharapova is once again ready to take on the best in the business. In the previous round, the Russian beat Bojana Jovanovski in straight sets.
Sharapova's opponent, Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva caused a major upset on day one of the tournament when she knocked out in-form Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli. More success followed against her next opponent Flavia Pennetta, whom Voskoboeva beat in three gruelling sets to set up a clash with Sharapova. Currently ranked No.135 in the world, Voskoboeva has no WTA singles titles and her best performance so far has come at the ITF level.
Both players have already contested a match before which Sharapova won three years ago in Doha in three sets. The Russian has come a long way since then, andd with a Wimbledon final finish and several big wins to her credit, she is a favourite to win this match.
TennisEarth.com's Pick - Maria Sharapova in straight sets.
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria SharapovaMaria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
