[nelsondan]

I think it is a little past 1 p.m. Sunday in Auckland---what Time will she play that first match--is it on Monday?

[Break My Rapture]

Originally Posted by Shafanovic

She should play at least 4 matches

This.

[Sp!ffy]

Originally Posted by Shafanovic

She should play at least 4 matches

I agree but if she beats CSN, I doubt she'll get less than 4 matches in. Of course, the worst could happen but I doubt it.

[MashaFanForever]

But Spiffy, that's not the point. One tournament IS enough, but the point is that Sydney has a way, way stronger field than Auckland, and it would be much better for Maria to get a taste on what kind of competition she is going to face at the Australian Open. She is a three time grand slam winner for god sake's. She needs to grow up and realize that she can't keep on playing the lower tier tournaments to get a couple of cheap wins under her belt, which won't get her ranking high enough to avoid Clijsters, Wozniacki or Henin in the fourth round of a grand slam. It's what happened all of last year, and it turned out to be an absolute disaster. If she were smart, she would have played in Sydney instead. But as usual, she chooses to play in a tournament filled with juniors so she can get a cheap tournament win under her belt. And then, by the time a grand slam comes, she comes up short against Li Na or Wozniacki in the fourth round. I want to support her but it's just getting more and more absurd. She has only made one grand slam quarterfinal since the 2008 Australian Open, and that is a horrible statistic. She came back in May 2009, it's 2011 now, if she can't find her form this year then it is worrying. She should be back in the top ten by now.

[Break My Rapture]

This is not the crap I want to see at the start of the year. Okay 2010 was awful, but let's leave it behind us now.
It's not her ranking that let her down in the slams, her seeding wouldn't make one fucking difference if she just plays up to her potential against the top players. She should wipe the floor with all these wannabes if she's in good form. The ranking will come after that.

[Sp!ffy]

@mashafan:You're forgetting that this is Maria's career, not yours. She has always felt comfortable not playing a tournament right before a grand slam; this year she is taking a slight different route and playing a smaller tournament. Maria's trying her hardest to reproduce her old results, there's not much more we should expect of her.

[ReboundAce]

Originally Posted by MashaFanForever

But Spiffy, that's not the point. One tournament IS enough, but the point is that Sydney has a way, way stronger field than Auckland, and it would be much better for Maria to get a taste on what kind of competition she is going to face at the Australian Open. She is a three time grand slam winner for god sake's. She needs to grow up and realize that she can't keep on playing the lower tier tournaments to get a couple of cheap wins under her belt, which won't get her ranking high enough to avoid Clijsters, Wozniacki or Henin in the fourth round of a grand slam. It's what happened all of last year, and it turned out to be an absolute disaster. If she were smart, she would have played in Sydney instead. But as usual, she chooses to play in a tournament filled with juniors so she can get a cheap tournament win under her belt. And then, by the time a grand slam comes, she comes up short against Li Na or Wozniacki in the fourth round. I want to support her but it's just getting more and more absurd. She has only made one grand slam quarterfinal since the 2008 Australian Open, and that is a horrible statistic. She came back in May 2009, it's 2011 now, if she can't find her form this year then it is worrying. She should be back in the top ten by now.

Couldn't agree more the seeding is very important cos why play with cijsters or serena in the ofurth round of a slam instead of playing a semi final.also it is important with other tournaments bt slams,she won't lose in early rounds,because there the seeds meet earlier than in a grand slam

[MashaFanForever]

Originally Posted by yodawiseguy

Couldn't agree more the seeding is very important cos why play with cijsters or serena in the ofurth round of a slam instead of playing a semi final.also it is important with other tournaments bt slams,she won't lose in early rounds,because there the seeds meet earlier than in a grand slam

Exactly. The more she goes out in the early rounds of slams, the more people are going to start thinking she is a "has-been."

[tvbsharapova]

BREAKING: Sharapova Signs with HEAD, to debut official line in Auckland on Monday

By Matthew Cronin, ********************



JAN. 1 2011- Maria Sharapova will announce a new deal with HEAD rackets on Monday, ******************** has learned. The five-year deal is similar to that she had with Prince, somewhere in the range of $2 million annually. Sharapova will have her own signature line of rackets with HEAD, as well as a junior racket line.

The former No. 1 announced a couple of weeks ago that she had ended her 10-year relationship with Prince. She has been play testing her new racket since early November.

Sharapova is scheduled to play Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the first round of Auckland. If the top seed wins the match, she will not accept a wild card into the next week’s tournament in Sydney, as she’s figuring that getting at least two matches in Auckland will be enough before she heads to Melbourne for the Australian Open, where she won her last major in 2008. -MC

The journalist, Matt Cronin has announced that Maria Sharapova has signed with Head and will make an official debut with her new racquet in Aucklan.

The five-year deal is similar to that she had with Prince, somewhere in the range of $2 million annually. Sharapova will have her own signature line of rackets with HEAD, as well as a junior racket line.

More news

Sharapova is scheduled to play Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the first round of Auckland. If the top seed wins the match, she will not accept a wild card into the next week’s tournament in Sydney.





Sharapova to announce deal with Head racquets

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Reported on January 01, 2011



Maria Sharapova will announce that she has signed a new racquet endorsement deal with Head, reports ********************. The contract was estimated to be worth $2 million a year.

Sharapova, who has been playing with a blacked-out racquet for several months, recently announced the end of her 10-year relationship with Prince racquets.

[Sp!ffy]

Originally Posted by MashaFanForever

Exactly. The more she goes out in the early rounds of slams, the more people are going to start thinking she is a "has-been."

Who cares what people think? Besides, it's not about how far you go in a slam, it's about actually winning the entire tournament. If Maria can't defeat Serena in the 4R, then what makes you think she could defeat her in a final?

[MashaFanForever]

I'd rather have her lose to Serena in the SF than lose to her in the 4R.

[claypova]

playing in sydney won;t even help her ranking

(AO seedings are done before the sydney points get added on )

[MashaFanForever]

I pray to god that she doesn't draw Clijsters or Wozniacki in the fourth round of the Aussie Open. I don't think I could take another fourth round loss to one of the top players.

[shaktincredible]

please get over it.

maria will never play sydney.

[MashaFanForever]

I'm very dissapointed her fitness isn't so good. There are so many people much older than her and have no problems playing back to back tournaments at all. She's only 23.