Maria Sharapova reaches the quarter-finals of a Premier Mandatory event in Madrid for the first time in three years. The Russian captivates in the Spanish capital not only with strong performances on the court, but also with fine humour outside the sand court.
The fact that Maria Sharapova is good in many ways in Fom in the days of Madrid was already noticeable to the journalists after their second round victory against the uncomfortable Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu (7:5, 6:1). The five-time Grand Slam winner – world-famous but certainly not for her consistency within a match – had a funny exchange of blows with a media representative.
The point was that Sharapova scored 19 points in a row in the second set…from 1:1 and 0:15 to 5:1 and 40:0, an unusual performance that “Masha” had not even noticed. The interview in words:
Journalist: “Maria, in the second set you won 19 points in a row…”
Sharapova: “Oh!”
Journalist: “This is really cool…”
Sharapova: “This is really cool!”
Journalist: “That’s not bad…”
Sharapova: “And doesn’t happen often…”
Journalist: “No, it doesn’t.”
Sharapova: “Especially to me…”
Journalist: “You said that, not me…”
Sharapova (laughs): “No, I know what you’re thinking!”
At the same press conference Sharapova promised a media representative chocolate because he could help her out with the title of the book (“The Wisdom of Insecurity”) she is reading.
Sharapova’s appearance in the catacombs of the Caja Magica sports complex coincides with her current repartee on the court. Already before her quarter-final against Wozniacki defeat Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) on Thursday afternoon, it was clear that the Russian would return to the top 40 of the WTA ranking.
A success over Bertens would put her in 31st place. If she wins the tournament in Madrid, which would be the first on this level since Rome 2015, Sharapova could even return to the top 25, where she last stood in June 2016. Before being banned for Meldonium abuse.
So it is quite possible that the 31-year-old will be seeded at the French Open (from 27 May). She is very interested in the number games and the “What if…?”-theories. And unlike almost all of her colleagues, she makes no secret of it.
Sharapova also admits straight away that she looks at the draw completely after the draw to see how her “branch” goes. “I’m not someone who doesn’t want to know who he’s playing against. You have to face whoever’s waiting in the next round…” This is the credo of the three-time winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The anticipation of the second major of the year at Stade Roland Garros is huge for the Russian woman, who lives in Los Angeles. In Paris, of all places, she who once felt like a “cow on the ice” on the red ashes has won most of her five Grand Slam titles – two (2012 and 2014).
However, Sharapova disagrees with the experts, who claim that “hard hitters” have ever greater advantages on French sand. “It’s not just about your game if you want to win this tournament. It’s about adapting to the circumstances,” said Masha, explaining her assessment: “You must know that you have seven matches that can take place under seven different conditions. You also have to mentally adapt perfectly to things like: Pressure, atmosphere and spectators. It’s not just about whether you’re a hard hitter.