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** Masha News and Articles! ** Vol. 2

490K views 5K replies 229 participants last post by  jameshazza 
#1 ·
Hi everyone :wavey:

Thought maybe we could use a thread here to post all the news, interviews, and articles we find on Masha. :)

I just got my new Tennis Week magazine and Maria is on the cover again (she was also on the March cover). :eek:

If they haven't been posted already, I'll scan in the pics and article and post them here later.
 
#4,991 ·
Matt Cronin @TennisReporters

Sharapova on Vujacic split: 'Was obviously a challenging decision from both of our ends. Was really nice period of time for both of us, but career schedules just made it extremely difficult to see each other with the traveling. Still would love to call him as a friend"
 
#4,994 ·
Ok, please don't hate me for saying this, but I'm kinda ok with this. Masha deserves someone better anyway :)
:rolleyes: please don't hate me for saying this, but maybe he was the perfect guy for her. I don't think we are in a position to judge how good/bad a relationship of two people we don't know at all are or how good7bad they are for each other.
In the end I want her to be happy and she never seemed too affected by the break up, so I assume they truly split amicably.
 
#4,995 ·
The press conference is up on USO website. She explained herself nicely with no fuss.
Who knows... Maybe the hotel room suffered a few torn pillows :fiery: this morning when she found out that Sasha broke the news. :oh: :oh: :angel:
Just kidding. :p
 
#4,998 ·
What secret person now?? OMG :sobbing:

tennisvampire, I haven't wached the video yet. But usually celebrities announce engagements, break-ups etc. This or the other way. Wasn't the engagement announced via PR first? And then we had the paparazzi pics? Maria IMO wanted to keep this private. But no she had no option but to speak.
 
#5,000 ·
I just watched the presser. She's a pro. When she said "I was waiting for someone to ask me directly", I thought you and the whole SS. Failjournos.
 
#5,002 ·
Anyone of us could have poked the journalists at Wimby and intrigue them. Cronin, Myles, you name it... But we didn't, because we didn't want Maria to be distracted by those questions, did we??
 
#5,003 ·
Maria is such a sneaky little liar. :p Her and Sasha did announce their relationship when it first started (via their reps). They did announce their engagement via their reps. They did stage a photo-op to show off the ring. :p And she knows she's full of it with that whole "nobody asked me directly" schtick. She kept talking about Sasha as if they were still together and she knows it... :p
 
#5,009 ·
Friday, August 31, 2012

PRINT
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.



Q. Pretty routine, huh?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it was. I expected her to play a big, solid match. I mean, she came out, she has pretty huge groundstrokes, and she likes to go for it. Yeah, my opponents have been quite different last few rounds. She's certainly somebody who could be dangerous if you give her the time to do what she likes to do. Overall, I was happy with the way I played.



Q. First few matches overall despite the wind and little problems with the serve, seems like you're fairly confident and have the rhythm and all of that now.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, as you say, routine, but with each match different situations. Yeah, of course I would have loved to have served a little better in that second set today. I gave her that break. But overall, it was pretty solid. I mean, considering the conditions, I thought I served good and placed the ball well.



Q. Does the scoreline reflect how you're feeling on the court?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I didn't know too much going into this event because I hadn't played on hard in a few months. I think that made me extra focused, and I wanted to really get going from the beginning and be aggressive. Yeah, took a little bit of a break after Wimbledon and went home. I think I kind of recharged a little bit. Certainly feel a lot more energy than I did maybe after the French.



Q. A lot of people are talking about Robson and Stephens as the way of the next great female players. They are having a great Open so far. Can you comment a little bit on both of them?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I have played both of them. You know, Laura was someone who was obviously throughout the years ‑‑ I think she won junior Wimbledon, and she's someone that I think a lot of people expected to do well at an early age. I mean, this is definitely her breakthrough tournament, her breakthrough Grand Slam where she's been playing extremely well. I've practiced with her a few times. Played her at the Olympics and last year at Wimbledon. She has a big game, and also a lefty, which adds to her strength. But Sloane, I played against her in Miami, I think. I don't remember the score, but she's a great athlete. Moves so well. I watched a little bit of her match yesterday. She's a great fighter and, you know, was able to come back from that match. Obviously that's the newer generation, and I'm somewhere in the middle there. (Smiling.)



Q. What were your thoughts when you saw Kim's last match? Have you been able to talk to her at all? What did she mean to you and your career?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, well, I was very fortunate to play a lot of matches against Kim and follow her career. I mean, she was such a great athlete, a great competitor. We always had really tough battles against each other. It was amazing to see her career unfold. The way she came back after, you know, becoming a mom and having that dedication and, you know, that fire again, it was pretty incredible. It showed how much she loved the sport and how much passion she had for it. Yeah, I actually didn't get to see her after.



Q. How about Roddick?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, crazy tournament. (Smiling.) Anybody else add to the list? Not me, but... I mean, it was fun watching his career. I mean, he always had so much energy on the court, especially in New York. I think everyone embraced him as an athlete and as a personality. You know, he worked extremely hard. It puts things perspective a little bit, because you think, Well, tennis does come to an end at some point, and you actually start thinking about that. Yeah, it's crazy how two great players are going to be out after this tournament.



Q. It comes to an end at a point maybe earlier than any other sport I can think of.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It does definitely. Everything is so routine in our sport, and since a young age it's just such a huge part of our life. Then I guess that decision, it's an interesting decision of how you decide to stop or if your body isn't able to continue or if your mind is not there anymore. But it's certainly an exciting chapter in their lives.



Q. It's really kind of a fleeting window of opportunity to contest for Grand Slams, and obviously you have played them at a very, very high standard. Are you at a point where you say to yourself, you know, This isn't going to last forever?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Of course.



Q. When you're 19, everything is going to last forever.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I'll tell you, when I was 18 or 19, if someone told me I was going to be playing at 25, which was seven years from then, I'd be like, Stop, this is ridiculous. You're crazy. But here I am at 25 years old. Although I didn't play for nine, ten months in my career, I'm 25, and I feel like I have so many more years left. I still wake up in the morning and feel like I can be better and motivated. I have energy and I'm healthy. What else can you ask for.



Q. Roddick said yesterday he just didn't want to exist on tour, meaning outside of the top 20, top 20, 25, maybe not competing for Grand Slam titles. Is that pretty much the same for you? Could you see yourself just saying, Oh, fourth round or quarterfinals are okay, win a small tournament here or there?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It's difficult when you've tasted such great success and when you have expected yourself to be in later stages of tournaments, you know, on a consistent basis. It's challenging as a professional athlete when you've been at the top and you've experienced greatness, to kind of see yourself fall down a little bit and just think that, Oh, it's okay if I'm, you know, in the third or fourth round. Of course it's okay maybe when you've battled things and you've gotten through things to get yourself in a position to play professional tennis. Of course in a big perspective, that's pretty incredible. But overall, when you've had that feeling of winning and, you know, losing on a weekly basis to maybe players you expect to beat, it's tough. Then your body is not exactly, you know, as it was when you're in your early 20s or teenage years. Then it all comes together. You're like, There are other things in life, as well.



Q. I was watching the junior girl qualifiers and boy qualifiers. I saw a lot more serve and volley players than before. We see Federer coming in more to end points quicker. Is that something we will see in the future?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Not from me. (Laughter.)



Q. Not from you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Definitely not from here. I would hope so. I think it's fun to watch. It's quicker; it's something different. I grew up with it on TV, not so much in real life. I didn't face too many players that served and volleyed. But, yeah, I guess if that happens, I don't know if I'll still be playing then. (Smiling.)



Q. The other day when I asked you about your wedding, you seemed surprised that some people thought it was true about your wedding in Istanbul. Today Sasha Vujacic wrote on Twitter that since months you're not anymore together.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yes, that's correct.



Q. So that was before Wimbledon that you split up or...

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, it's been since the end of spring actually. I was waiting for someone to actually ask me that question, but nobody did directly. (Laughing.) Yes.



Q. It was a bit confusing.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I know. It is.



Q. People were talking about the wedding and you split up. It's not important, but...

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, but, you know, I have never really been the person to announce things. I never announced when we were together or never announced that we were engaged. I never have in any of my previous relationships, as well. It's not really the type of person that I am or the way I like to go about things. I'm not an announcer, you know. I don't go and do interviews about it or photo ops.



Q. I was hoping to be invited to the wedding.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: You still have a chance. (Laughter.) I mean, I still have many years ahead of me.



Q. I guess it's fair to say you have done a really good job of separating the off court and on court since the spring then.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it was obviously a challenging decision, you know, from both of our ends. Yeah, it was a really nice period of time for both of us, but, you know, our career schedules just made it extremely difficult to see each other with the traveling, and especially his career move to Turkey. You know, the playing there was a little bit different in terms of he wasn't able to travel much. He wasn't home one time during the ten months that he was in Turkey, so that made it extremely difficult. Yeah, but we have a tremendous amount of respect for each other. Still would love to call him as a friend. Yeah, we spent really great years together.



Q. Nadia is your next match.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, look, she's been playing really good tennis here. Just saw a little bit of her match against Safarova. She's someone that likes the faster courts, especially in New York. I have had some tough matches against her. Although I have a good record, they have always been really tough and have gone to some three‑setters, some tough two‑setters. She has a big game, great serve, a difficult opponent, but I'm looking forward to that challenge.



Q. It's obviously well‑documented that you have so much in your life: the titles and No. 1 and you love business and fashion and meet wonderful people. Kind of hard to have a social life when you're in Stuttgart one day and, you know, Paris the next, and Tokyo; is that a challenge?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I make time for that. You know, I'm able to have a normal life which I'm pretty happy about, although when I'm at tournaments and I'm doing events and business‑related things, it seems like my life is very hectic and very glamorous, very popular. But at the end of the day, when I'm home, I'm just like everybody else ‑‑ although my office is my tennis court. I put those hours in. Then outside of it I have so many friends, my family, and I'm able to have a normal social life. I consider myself lucky.



FastScripts by ASAP Sports
 
#5,012 ·
Tremendous interview from her. She's so mature and classy, as always.
You'd think this would have affected her on court game, but it hasn't.

She's really something else :worship:
 
#5,015 ·
now that Maria is not with Sasha only one thing has to happen... Djoker should break up with Helena and hook up with Maria... seriously these 2 are throwing vibes all over the place for years now...

Just look at the behind the scenes video of the head commercial... this is not acting... Maria and Novak seem geniunely happy and not in a friendly way happy... if you know what i mean! ;)
 
#5,017 ·
That's how I hang out with my friends all the time. ;)
Maria should not rush into another relationship. Who was it who said - that in the beginning of a relationship is normal to drop a bit in tennis?? I read it somewhere and I forgot it... Right now TBH, I do not want any kind of distractions for her.
Agreed. I have feeling she's not gonna be in a other relationship for awhile now.
 
#5,016 ·
Maria should not rush into another relationship. Who was it who said - that in the beginning of a relationship is normal to drop a bit in tennis?? I read it somewhere and I forgot it... Right now TBH, I do not want any kind of distractions for her.
 
#5,024 ·
Here :) :

An interview with: MARIA SHARAPOVA

Sunday, September 2, 2012


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.



Q. Were you happy when the rain came a little bit?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, it's a tough situation because I felt like there's so many ups and downs between the beginning of the first till that break. She was up a break and it was a little bit difficult going in because I felt like I started getting a little bit of momentum back in the second set and then just didn't really take my chances when I had them and played a sloppy game at 4‑5. But I didn't really mind. I have the experience of getting off the court and waiting a little bit and trying to start from scratch.



Q. How proud are you of yourself you served the final game?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: That was really important, especially against Nadia. One of her strengths is her serve. You know, when it's on and she's holding easy, that obviously puts more pressure on the service game. You really try to concentrate on that, you know, be smart and mix it up a little bit more. But, yeah, overall I'm really happy with the way it came out in the third. I didn't let that little letdown bother me. I just kept on fighting. So, yeah.



Q. You looked so pumped up during the third set when you came back on the court. What does this quarter mean to you? It seems something special.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, of course. You're playing a night match at the US Open, you have a rain delay, you come back, and all the same people that were there waited through for 45 minutes and they came back to watch the end of the match. So that energy in the stadium with the music and the cheering, it's just unique. You know, I think it really, really pumped me up and got me going. I wasn't going to leave that court without a fight.



Q. Did you call your dad or did he call you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Thomas told me he wanted to talk to me.



Q. And you took the call?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Then I called him. I didn't want to hear it after if I didn't call him. I didn't want to have that conversation.



Q. I can't imagine he just said, Fight. He must have said more than that. Did you tune him out after he said, Fight?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, he knows by now, like, where to stop and where to keep going. He has that experience with me. (Smiling.) No, he just said, You know, your energy dropped in the beginning of the second set. That's over. That's done. Now you got to go out there and fight.



Q. Petrova was just asked about the rain delay. She said really that's why you won and called it your lucky day.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Great. I'm the winner, so whatever she wants to call it is fine with me.



Q. Any win is a good thing. You're 11‑0 this year in matches that go in three sets. What kind of pride do you take in having that kind of success? Why do you think you are so successful?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it's a nice statistic. I don't really think about it going into a new third‑set situation. Certainly wasn't on my mind, because every match is different, different circumstance, whether you started slow and came back in the second or whether you had a letdown in the second. Overall, you know, I always think that no matter how you start the match, it's always how you finish. Whether it's an hour or whether it's three hours that you're out there, I don't want to give up until the last point. That's pretty much the mentality I try to have going into a third set.



Q. Being demonstrative, is that something you sort of learned in your career? Just more, C'mons and vocal. Is that something relatively new for you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I've always been pretty vocal. I think we can all agree on that one.



Q. Can you talk about the mentality on second serves? Seems like now you've decided, I'm going to go for it and hit my spot. Last couple games you were going for some pretty big serves.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, because I think against someone that likes to take chances like that, you know, she loves to step in and go for it. I wouldn't blame her. If I had second serves at 80 miles per hour, I probably would want to step in, too, and hit them in the corners, you know, and take advantage of that. She's an aggressive player. She goes for it. That's not something I wanted to give her.



Q. Can you talk playing Marion Bartoli in the next round.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: We haven't played in a while. It was a great win for her today, someone who has been playing really good this summer. Yeah, it's nice to see her back in the quarterfinals of a slam. I think she's been a little bit up and down, but obviously her level has stepped up here. Honestly, I haven't watched any of her matches here. I played her before; I know her game style. It's always a little bit different, nontraditional. But, yeah, it's the quarterfinals and I'm excited.



Q. Does it feel like so long for you since the quarterfinals, or does it seem like just yesterday you were in the quarters here?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: A little bit of both. Sometimes you look back and you think, Wow, that was many years ago. I had baby cheeks still. But then you think, Oh, where has the time flown? It's so fast. But, yeah, I missed a year, so that chance was taken away from me of getting far. But, you know, we're here now and I'm back in the quarterfinals. It's a nice feeling. I've got to go from here.



Q. Do you feel like more of a veteran now?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I kind of feel somewhere in the middle really. I started when I was very young, and now I'm playing a lot more opponents that are younger than me. I don't think that necessarily means that I'm a veteran, but I've been on the tour for a long time. I'm experienced. But there's still many years ahead of me. I don't think I'm at the end of my career.



Q. Last three times post surgery obviously wasn't the best tennis, but do you look at those matches as a just process of coming back from the shoulder, or do you say to yourself on this occasion that you just didn't play your best and I had chances in all those matches?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Here at the US Open?



Q. Against Melanie, Caroline, then Pennetta last year.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't like to look back at those, especially a couple of them. But, you know, every circumstance is different. Every match you play you've got to bring your A game. Obviously in those situations my opponents played a lot better. They won the match. There's a reason why they did. But obviously those losses make you hungrier to come back and do better.



Q. What I'm saying is do you take the bigger picture or compartmentalize?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think it's the only way to look at it. I think if you look at it in a negative perspective it's pretty tough. You have a whole 'nother year; that's pretty depressing.



Q. You have a lot of crowd support here. Did it seem like you had even more crowd support than you usually do?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I certainly felt that energy today, especially when we came back. Maybe just gave an opportunity for people to drink more so they're more excited, I'm not sure. But it was nice. It was a really nice atmosphere.



Q. Can you describe what it's like to be on that court?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It's amazing.



Q. It's that loud?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It is.



Q. So it's not like you're checking out on it; you can really hear the noise?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: When we describe all the different Grand Slams, 'energy' is the word I think of when I think of the US Open. Just from the tunnel and the bright lights there, then you walk out, and then the fans are kind of right there in that little tunnel. They're screaming. They want your autograph before the match. They're putting their hands out. Then you walk out and it's this massive stadium. When it's filled up, when it's night, you have the lights on, it's just so special. It's so unique to be a tennis player in that atmosphere.



Q. You talked about your hunger that you have. You won a career slam this year and an Olympic medal. Is that at all hard to keep yourself going, saying, I still need more in my career?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think it gives you extra motivation. I'll tell you, it's a lot tougher mentally, more challenging, to lose a match and say right away, I'm hungry for more just because losing is not always fun. Obviously, the faster that you turn around and change that mentality the better. When you have moments of victory, when you're holding the trophy, you think back of the work you put in. That's when you realize that it's worth it. That's when you know that there's no better motivation. So absolutely. If I didn't have that I would be announcing a retirement, but I'm not. I still feel like I have a lot more left in me, things that I certainly can improve in my game. That's why I get up and want to work hard.
 
#5,027 ·
lol maria seems afraid not calling her father right away. maybe he will berate her non stop if she didnt call ?

but im really really glad yuri stepping in even just a little to give a small advice.. even if maria seems to dismiss it lightly in this conference, i thnk her father's call give a small mental boost to her... glad yuri helping maria again, especially since her admission of breakup with sasha (she handled it correctly but i guess she felt the pain inside)

as for the breakup secrecy, i think sasha started it by tweeting his breakup , so that gave masha no reason to pretend anymore.. in fact just before USOpen and at the opening of Sugarpova, masha still pretend to be engaged when asked in NBC morning interview.. maybe sasha really back to his old italian girlfriend now and dont want to embarrass masha so he break the news 1st?
 
#5,030 ·
An interview with: MARIA SHARAPOVA

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

PRINT
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.



Q. You had a long time to think about 4‑Love.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I did.



Q. How did you get through all that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I tried not to think about it too much. Yeah, it was good to have that period of time just to get a good night's sleep and come back. It's not always a good feeling to come into a match to knowing that you're down 0‑4. It's like you're going to try to win that set, but if you don't you're down 0‑1. It was a tough position to be in, but I'm just so thrilled to be in the semis here.



Q. The third set was pretty high‑quality stuff, wasn't it?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, like there is a reason why she reached the quarterfinals. I mean, I think her level of play really showed today and yesterday why she was in the top 10 and why she's such a high‑quality player. Yeah, there's a lot of good things that she did. I'm happy that I pulled through no matter how tough it was.



Q. She's a little unpredictable as to when she's going to be hitting the lines and when she's not. Just talk about contending with that.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I mean, I guess unpredictable is good in a way ‑ for her. A little bit on the serve, as well. She was going a lot for her second serves. I think she probably had like 30 serves that were 99‑miles‑per‑hour second serves. It's like she worked consistently to get 99 miles an hour. Every time I looked at the clock it was like 99, 99. If I lose this match, I'm going to have nightmares. (Laughter.) No, I mean, I guess she just has that nontraditional game where it's kind of sneaky. You don't know if she's going to come in or if she's gonna hit the ball or be flat or hit the frame. But, yeah, she's worked a lot on it. That's why it's good.



Q. So you haven't lost a three‑set match since Pennetta last year. That's a lot of them to win in a row. Do you feel like going into those three sets, okay, I have done well all year; I think I can pull it out again?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Honestly, every time I've gone to a third set I haven't thought about it, because every single match is different. It's a different situation. Sometimes you can be coming back; sometimes you win the first set and then you have a letdown. It's a great statistic. It shows that I enjoy the battle no matter what the score is. The third set, it's the last set out there, and there's no reason why you shouldn't put everything out there. That's kind of how I treat those situations.



Q. Rain has become such a regular feature here. There has obviously been a lot of talk of putting on a roof. Talk about what yesterday was like, going out and having to come back on again and off, and then finally when they gave you the word you were playing the next day?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: All right yesterday, but a lot today. Maybe you guys didn't see. We were on like four times today.



Q. Today?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah. Right when we were walking literally in the hall of the locker room we went back on because it started drizzling. I mean, I have done like 20 different types of warmups in the gym. I was so sick of it. I was like, Let's just play tennis. (Laughter.) So I was really happy that we got it in without another break. Another break means another warmup. I can't handle it anymore.



Q. Was it kind of like a reboot, though?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It's kind of like a gym workout every time. I'm like, this is not what I signed up for here.



Q. Already tired when you get out there.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah. No, no, I mean, it's great. You've got to get going, but it's like, Get me out there.



Q. How would you describe you and Victoria as competitors and then your respective styles of play?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I think we both play a pretty aggressive game. You know, we're good competitors and we love to win. I mean, who doesn't? But she's had such a solid year this year, kinda her breakthrough in terms of winning the Grand Slam, being so solid, so consistent, being No. 1 in the world for the first time. So a lot of firsts for her, which I think a lot of people expected in the last few years. This is kind of the year where she's come out and, yeah, played really great tennis.



Q. You talked after the match on court about how you wanted to exact your revenge for her victory. Was there any extra motivation there?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, well it's always tough to lose in that final stage of a Grand Slam. You know, last time we played I think I was in Stuttgart where I beat her, but before that she got me a couple of times. You know, I played a really good match in Germany against her. Obviously I want to take the things I did well there and ‑‑ but that was on clay; this is a different situation. So every match is new. She's been playing great tennis. I'm in the semifinals since '06, I think, so this is a great opportunity for the both of us.



Q. What are the keys when the two of you have been playing and what have been the keys in the rivalry?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Game style?



Q. Yeah. I mean, when you've been successful, what has determined that for you? And by contrast, when she's been successful, what has been the difference?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, she's a great returner, so you have to serve pretty good. Yeah, she's aggressive. If you give her a good first ball she likes to take advantage of that. Yeah, I mean, there's not a lot I'd talk openly about.



Q. Seems like you had the crowd support here in these big matches on Ashe, Petrova and against Bartoli, as well. Azarenka is someone who almost never has the crowd on her side when she's playing. Do you have any idea what makes a crowd ‑‑ what makes certain players more popular to crowds than others?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't know. I think maybe the intensity, the passion they have. I mean, I have lived in the States since I was seven, so this is my base. This is my home. Not New York but Florida and California. So, you know, I have a lot of fans here, a lot of friends that come out and watch. You know, in a way, it feels like a second home for me. I certainly feel that support. This is where I ‑‑ basically after three years of tennis, starting tennis, this is where I developed my game and where I really learned the sport. I have been around for many years, so I feel like the fans have kind of watched me grow here and watched me since the days I was a junior here till now. They followed my career. Yeah, and also, we have a big Russian community in Brooklyn. They come out.



Q. The crowd is always for you, which is cool. Today do you think they may have been for you because they were pulling for the one who was struggling coming from behind? If so, how much did that help you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think that's ‑‑ I think fan support when you're down ‑‑ also, you know, it's normal in sport when fans are rooting for the underdog because they want to see a match. They want to see the competition. They want it to be entertaining. That's why they pay the money. So I understand that. I have been a part of that. I mean, I felt the energy. I've felt it switch from one side to another during matches. That's for sure. I have been a part of many incredible matches where it's kind of slow, and then you get going and then it's up and down. You know, people get into it. But I understand that energy that comes of supporting an underdog, someone that's not necessarily the favorite. But they want to see you pull through.



Q. You and Andy grew up together in Florida. When he walked by, did you see him today? Any words exchanged? Andy Roddick.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, well, we actually didn't grow up in the same part of Florida.



Q. I know. But he wins the Eddie Herr, you win the Eddie Herr.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Was that the same week?



Q. Yeah, it was. The same Sunday. You were 12 and he was 17 or so.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: He didn't say hi to me then. (Laughter.) But neither did I, obviously.



Q. The third set, you know, you got the break early. In such a close match, how frustrating was it for you when you lost the break?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it is. Obviously I was up 30‑15 and I gained, but she played a very aggressive, solid game there. I mean, of course there are things I could have done to get that, and it's always unfortunate to not hold your serve. But then I got another break; made up for it.



Q. Serena Williams obviously plays on the other half of the draw. When you think of her serve, what to you impresses you most or do you think makes her serve as successful as it is?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think the consistency and the power and the strength. She finds the corners extremely well, but on a consistent level. It's one thing to, you know, to serve a big serve, but it's another thing to do it consistently match in, match out.



Q. How much of her success do you think depends on the success with the serve?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think a lot. And I think it also builds, you know, a player game because it is that first shot. So if you're feeling confident and if you feel like that's a shot that's working for you, I think all other pieces of the puzzle kind of come together.



Q. Do you think it's pretty natural that the younger players go after the established Grand Slam champions and get a little more motivated? Do you think that was the case with Victoria when she first started playing you back a few years ago and even today? Meaning you're the hunted one more.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Maybe before but not so much now. You know, she's obviously won a Grand Slam already. So, you know, it's almost like other players are also wanting to beat her and she's No. 1 in the world. I mean, absolutely when you see the level of play that, you know, Bartoli played against and you look at her, the other results she had during the year, you think, Well, there is no way she played like that losing to some of the players. It's really the honest truth. It's the reality sometimes. But in a way, that's what makes it so much tougher to be at the top. I mean, it's tough to get there; it's extremely difficult to stay there, because everybody ‑‑ they almost have the feeling of not having much to lose. They're not expected to win, so I think everything is kind of free and they really go for it.



Q. When you first played her, I think it was in Moscow and it was close. I think it was Moscow...

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Who are we talking about?



Q. Victoria.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't know.



Q. First couple times did you know she was going to be a really good player?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I did. I mean, I think many people expected her to win a Grand Slam earlier than she did. I think her level, I mean, she always had a solid game. I mean, she was always a little mentally fragile. Felt like she would bang her racquet and yell, and you kind of see that on the court. But I think with age and maturing that obviously you learn so much by playing matches. You learn what helps you get motivated, what helps you get going. I mean, I thought she would be at a high level, definitely.



Q. You played Errani in the French Open final. Now she's made another semifinal; doubles No. 1 next week. What do you think she's doing so well?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it just shows you you don't have to be tall and to have a lot of power. (Laughter.) She has so much variety in her game. She's obviously so successful on clay. She won so many titles and got to the finals of the French. Extremely tricky; moves really good around the court; makes you hit so many balls. Yeah, I mean, I was going into the French Open final as, you know, people were saying the favorite, but I was playing a clay‑court specialist in a way, which people never really considered me to be. So it was funny how all of a sudden I was considered the favorite to go in and beat her in a Grand Slam final when she was playing so well on that surface. She's proven that she can play really well on hard. I think she did pretty well in Australia, as well. But consistency, her consistency this year has been incredible.



Q. Back to Serena, am I wrong in thinking that both the Williams love power? They seem to want their opponent to bang it with them. Even when Hingis was younger, when she was playing, she mixed it up a lot with them. I don't think they like that. Is that correct, or what's your thoughts on that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I can't help but laugh at your question. I'm sorry. No, it's a good observation. But I think if you're going into a match in which you feel like you have to play a different game than what you've worked on or what has won you matches before in order to beat that one person, I don't know if it's extremely smart. I mean, I think it's always good to have options in your pocket if things are not going well. Sometimes those don't work. But to prepare for a match and not believe that if your game is power or being aggressive that that's not going to work, then, I mean, it's not a good confidence booster.



Q. I know you wouldn't want to change your game, that's for sure.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah.



FastScripts by ASAP Sports
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2012-09-05/201209051346878879890.html
 
#5,031 ·
Q. Back to Serena, am I wrong in thinking that both the Williams love power? They seem to want their opponent to bang it with them. Even when Hingis was younger, when she was playing, she mixed it up a lot with them. I don't think they like that. Is that correct, or what's your thoughts on that?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I can't help but laugh at your question. I'm sorry. No, it's a good observation. But I think if you're going into a match in which you feel like you have to play a different game than what you've worked on or what has won you matches before in order to beat that one person, I don't know if it's extremely smart. I mean, I think it's always good to have options in your pocket if things are not going well. Sometimes those don't work. But to prepare for a match and not believe that if your game is power or being aggressive that that's not going to work, then, I mean, it's not a good confidence booster.



Q. I know you wouldn't want to change your game, that's for sure.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah.
In other words,she's screwed for life against her
 
#5,034 ·
Today's presser up.

An interview with: MARIA SHARAPOVA
Friday, September 7, 2012

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It looked like you had done everything, the winners, dictated the game, and still you have lost. How frustrating is it?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, it's frustrating, but it's the game of tennis. A lot of swings in the match today. You know, certainly had the lead and the advantage. She picked up her game. You know, in the third I think a lot of it had to do with the returns. I didn't do much on her service games. You know, she was winning them pretty easy. You know, on mine they were quite long and just making too many errors not putting any pressure on her. So that's, I think, the most frustrating part.



Q. You want to talk about the last game? You were serving from behind the whole third set. That's tough anyway just trying to hold. What are you feeling going out there at 4‑5?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it's a tough position, but I got myself back from Love‑30 and from match point. Like I said, she returned much better in those situations than I did. I think I gave her too many free points, and that's this type of match and these circumstances that, you know, you're not putting that much pressure on your opponent it's a difficult situation to go into, definitely.


Q. Starting out up 3‑Love, you were confident at that point. What happened at that moment after you were down 3‑1 and then you were up 4‑1?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I was up a set and a break. I had game points to go up 2‑0. There's no doubt she raised her level and she started playing better and moving better. A few little things here or there certainly could have changed things around.


Q. What's the toughest thing in your game, in her game, when you're facing her? What's the toughest thing for you when you're playing Azarenka?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, when you're in that battle you're not thinking about your opponent. Of course you have a strategy. You're thinking of a few things that will help you. But a lot of it is instinct and believing your game will eventually win you the match. But like I said, I think I didn't make her play in certain situations of that third. We can discuss the first and the second, but ultimately when it gets to that third set, I just don't think I did enough on those games to put any thought in her mind.

Q. It's not like she's bombing serves like Serena, and I know she's consistent with her first serve, but were you just not getting a good hit on the ball or tougher to read?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, especially in the third I wasn't doing anything with it. I think I was making one or two errors and not even making her play, which is, you know, not good. I thought I was doing a much better job of that in the first and the second, and I think that put a lot of pressure on her service games. But you know, not in the third.


Q. Was there any moment you thought about your third set record this year?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It was 4‑All, and anything can happen that point; this one didn't go my way.


Q. How different a player is she on hard court versus on other surfaces?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I think I've only played against her on hard and clay. She's certainly improved her movement on the hard courts. You know, she's in good shape right now. Yeah, I don't think we ‑‑ I mean, we were out there for over two hours. I think both of us could still run and play for a while. I mean, I still felt I didn't feel too tired in the end and she certainly had a lot of energy. But as far as the differences, I only played her one match on clay.


Q. You have been off court for just a little bit, but the slam season is now over for you. You had some fabulous results. Could you just talk about your year, particularly in the slams, and, well, overall, what it's meant for you, including flag bearer?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I'll take them. I'll take the results I had this year. (Smiling.) I look back in the beginning of the season and not really ‑‑ I remember going to Australia early and not really sure I was going to play that warmup tournament. My ankle was still not feeling great. So if anyone had told me when I had that uncertainty going into the Australian Open that I would have this type of season ‑‑ and it's still not over; we still have a few more events to play ‑‑ I would have been pretty happy. I think you mentioned this is the last one. That's really where I would have loved to get even further, but it's certainly a step better than the last few years I have been here.


Q. If you had to grade yourself on this, the way you have played at this tournament given what you know you can do and how you felt match after match, where would you put yourself?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: In terms of what? Numbers?


Q. Did you go out there feeling like top of your game, everything was working well, or was it a struggle for you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I mean, I can look at it so many different ways. You know, like I said, there were a lot of swings in the match. I was up, and, like, I mean, who knows, if it's 2‑0 and she starts thinking. But, you know, when I had my opportunities I don't think I took them. I think when you're in the situation of a third set you have to put pressure on your opponent. I just don't think I did that at all.


Q. Given that Serena, as you can tell, is dominating right now against Errani ‑‑ it's 5‑1 ‑‑ assuming she does play Vika in the final, is there anything anybody really can do against Serena when she's playing the dominating tennis she's playing right now? What does Vika have to do?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I'm not her coach. (Smiling.) It's not in my job description. There's a reason why everyone is in the draw. There is a reason why everyone puts the net up in the morning for us to play matches. No matter who is going in there as the favorite, no matter how confident they are, everyone has a chance. She's No. 1 in the world, and there is no reason why she shouldn't have a chance.


Q. You seemed to obviously want this win, no question. You were demonstrative about it. Is there anything about this title that really made it more important to you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, it's New York; it's a Grand Slam; it's the US Open. I mean, of course it's meaningful. You want to perform well. You're in a battle out there. This is what you practice for, is to get in those situation and try to get out of them; today I just didn't.


Q. Are you going to stick around for fashion week or do you head home or what do you do?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't know. I have been in the city for three weeks. It's been a while. But I'm looking forward to checking out the ice cream truck that's around the corner from my hotel. It's been haunting me. (Laughter.) I'm telling the driver, like, Get out of here. I can't look at you anymore. So I'll have time for that. But other than that, I think I miss home and I just want to be in a home atmosphere for a little bit.


Q. What flavor?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.


Q. So do you say to yourself, I'm happy I played Victoria much closer than I did at Australia and Indian Wells and I came close to beating her, or do you say, big missed opportunity; I should have won that match?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I can look at it so many different ways. Yeah, it's always a little bit tougher when you feel like you have those chances. The scoreline was a lot tougher this time, obviously, but the result wasn't what I wanted, so... In both of them.


Q. With everything you have gone through, how gratifying is it for you to be now consistently in the hunt for big titles and to feel you're in that battle and in that game all the way to the end?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Oh, it's incredible. I mean, I try to get a sense of that perspective as much as possible because you can lose it so fast. The grinding, the days, and the work that you put in and then the tournaments, everything kind of just happens. It's a groove. It's easy to forget where you came from and what you had to go through to get to that point. But when I do think about it, I'm so lucky that I get to play this sport, that I love playing it still, and that I feel like I have a lot in me. Yeah, I'm No. 3 in the world right now and was back at No. 1 winning Grand Slams again, so it's certainty a great feeling.


Q. Jimmy Connors was saying last week that no matter what you do after you're done playing, nothing is going to be like being out there in front of 25,000 people showcasing your talent.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I agree. There is nothing in life that gives you that ‑‑ it's like that moment that you experience. You know, the losing is always not fun, but the victories and everything just happens in moments; whereas in other careers I think it's such a different process. I always, you know, try to compare it to maybe other careers where, you know, you can be such a great actress or a model, but if nobody puts you on a cover of a magazine, you can be so good, extremely talented, but your career is always in the hands of other people. It's just so difficult to think about. Or sometimes you can be kind of so‑so, and then you're made into a star. So it's such a unique situation. I was in a position where I was out of the sport and I got to do many things, but there's nothing like being in that moment. I mean, as tough as these days are, it's always so gratifying when you're sitting in a press conference at the end of winning a Grand Slam, you know, and talking about how you got to that point. You can talk all day. It's such a great feeling.

Q. Is it also controlling your own destiny, where you say instead of somebody else choosing you for that magazine cover, you're making it happen on the tennis court?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: A little bit, definitely. You're controlling a lot more of your life than maybe ‑‑ and not that ‑‑ I'm not trying to put down anybody else. It's just how it works in those situations. You know, I know many people in different industries, but I always relate so much to athletes in terms of just the feelings that they experience. You know, it's almost like when someone does a movie for so many months, and then they go to the Oscars. And in that moment that their movie is good is that they win the Oscar. It's such a different thinking process for me. I'm so happy I'm not in any other career. I wouldn't trade this for anything.


Q. Our sport is built around these great slams with their center courts. You talked about the thrill of being out there. Of the four center courts in the slams, what has the most meaning? What gives you the biggest charge? What do you love the most?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I mean, each one is so different. I mean, the energy that you experience here in New York is so unique. I mean, when you're in the changeover and the music is just blasting, you don't even ‑‑ even in Australia it's not like that. And in Wimbledon, there is so much tradition. I love the fact that you walk out on the court and there's no introductions. It's a matter of two athletes going out there, and it's all about them and their tennis. This is, of course, much more of a show and production. It's great to have all of these different atmospheres, I guess.


Q. Tennis thrives on rivalries. How would you describe the state of your rivalry with Vika and where it might go?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: We both have many years ahead of us. I'm sure we will be facing against each other many more times in Grand Slams and other tournaments. You know, she has the better record right now against me. Hopefully when I'm done I can change that around.



Q. How do you get over this kind of loss? Do you have a special routine?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, I think just putting things in perspective. Certainly in the last few years, especially after my injury, I have been a lot better about accepting wins and accepting losses. I try to think that if you're level‑headed about difficult defeats and then if you get something in your career that's incredible, but if you take it as ‑‑ in a calm way, then the defeats don't seem as difficult. So I try to ‑‑ I mean, after I won the French Open of course I was so happy, but I had this really calm feeling that, you know, like a settlement in my career. Like it wasn't like I wanted to go out and party and tell the whole world that I had won. It was just this feeling within in me that I had achieved something that I had worked for. And losses, of course, they're difficult and the world knows you lose. That's sport. At the end of the day, that's what makes me better. It motivates me to go back on the court and to practice.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports
Vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. She's such a kiddo sometimes :) Never change, Maria.
 
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