Maria Sharapova was feeling confident about her US Open defence
after beating Patty Schnyder to win the last San Diego Classic on
Sunday before the event moves to Beijing next year.
Sharapova won the San Diego title 12 months ago, finding the
rhythm which carried her to the last grand slam title of the year
at Flushing Meadows.
"After winning here and then winning the Open, you want to do
the same thing," the world No 2 told reporters. "Last year I won
here and went to In and Out Burger, and this year I want to get in
the car, go there again and drive the same way."
Hampered by a shoulder injury all year, Sharapova had struggled
to find her best form until San Diego.
She was crushed by Serena Williams in the Australian Open final,
by Ana Ivanovic in the French Open semifinals and by Venus Williams
in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
But after taking a rest and abbreviating her service action to
ease her shoulder pain, the Russian found her stride in San Diego,
only dropping one set and beating a number of good opponents,
including Tatiana Golovin, Sania Mirza, Anna Chakvetadze and
Schnyder.
"All those girls can be very dangerous, but you can run into
someone ranked 50 or 60 who has nothing to lose and plays her best
against you," Sharapova said.
"I never underestimate any opponent. I have to concentrate on
what I have to do and not what they are doing, because if you
strongly believe in what you are doing, you are in good hands."
Sharapova beat Patty Schnyder 6-2 3-6 6-0 in the San Diego
Classic final on Sunday.
She used a powerful baseline attack to break the left-handed
Swiss six times amid a flurry of 37 winners, but she did not have
things all her own way.
After Sharapova closed out the first set by ripping a backhand
down the line, the 11th-seeded Schnyder cleverly began to move the
tall Russian around the court.
She broke to 5-3 in the second set when Sharapova missed a
forehand and levelled the match with a 110-mph service winner.
Between sets, Sharapova's coach Michael Joyce told her to stop
being so tentative and she came out roaring in the third set,
breaking Schnyder to 2-0 when the Swiss erred on a drop shot.
"In the first set I hit some really good shots when she was
serving and that opened doors for me," Sharapova told
reporters.
"In the second set I lost that extra step and once you give her
a little edge, she's going to get a lot of balls back and she's not
going to waste her time. I hesitated for too many balls and I knew
I had to step in and hit it again."
Sharapova never looked back, breaking Schnyder to 4-0 with a
blazing forehand and winning the match with another forehand
winner.
"Once she's on a roll, she sticks with it doesn't give a
chance," Schnyder said. "She puts pressure on you whenever she has
break points and you have to save them.
"She's a champion and you know you have to come up with
something special."
In the last year of the San Diego Classic, which has been sold
to Beijing, Sharapova become the first woman to defend the title
since Venus Williams in 2002.
It was the world No 2's first title since winning the Linz
tournament in October.
"It's such a thin line," Sharapova said. "I'd rather be in a
grand slam final then win a Tier IV tournament. I could easily play
30 tournaments a year like some of the other girls if I really
wanted to win a tournament, but that's physically impossible for
me.
"I play the big ones and the ones that count and that I feel
that I'm ready for. If I didn't win one before this one, then so
what, I've won plenty before."
Sharapova will be the top seed at this week's tournament in Los
Angeles before taking two weeks off to prepare for the US Open
which starts on August 27.
"I have to maintain and improve," she said. "I'm hoping to find
a high level and be fresh."
(China Daily via Agencies August 7, 2007)