PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 17, 2005

Maria Sharapova

Q. It was a tough match out there tonight.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, yeah, it was. You know, the first few games were very tough. She came out, you know, hitting some really good shots. I thought I served well. So in the beginning, I held my serve pretty easy, and I think some of her games, you know, went to deuce and breakpoints. I think she had a lot of pressure on her because she knew I was serving well. It was important for me to serve well today.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I was. I couldn't convert the first few breakpoints that I had. But, you know, as the match went on, I think I converted more than I did at the beginning.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, because naturally I'm a lefty. Sometimes I hit a running lefty forehand.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't know. Because for some reason I started with right-handed, and then I used to play both handed. I played two hands on both sides when I was younger. I played a little bit of lefty. Then I played with righty.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I write with the right. I used to when I was little, I could write with my right. I eat with my left. Anything I do, like with soccer or anything, is all with my left.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I didn't really worry about what happened in our previous match. Just try to focus on today. You know, I think I served really well throughout the whole match, and that was very important. I was calm, you know, even when she came up with really good shots. So, you know, I think she played a great match. I was just able to -- you know, in the first few games, I didn't take my chances when I had the breakpoints. But I finally converted one and it sort of opened up the door for me.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I took away some of her big serves today. You know, she has a few favorite spots out there, and I think I picked those up quite well today. You know, sometimes you're a bit caught off guard with somebody's serving big. But today I felt like that I knew where most of her serves was going, and I attacked her second serve, which was also important just to put some pressure on her first serve.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, no, not really. I've seen her, you know, in our last match, and I've seen her play a few matches. I think her best serve is usually down the T. And, you know, whenever somebody is in a tough situation, you know they're not going to go for their weak serve. So, you know, I basically tried to cover that serve. But, you know, you still have to make it and you still have to win the point.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Oh, no. That's the last thing you'd see me doing.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, uh-huh.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it's not easy, especially with a slower court. You know, the ball goes through the air quite fast. And especially when you're playing with someone that hits so hard, you want to make sure that, you know, you try to get the opportunity to open the court. But that is one of the important things. But I think a lot of people, you know, they run well side to side. They can run all day like that. It's a little bit more of trying to have more of a pattern out there rather than just hitting the ball side to side without a purpose.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I was getting impatient in my last match with her. I was just trying to -- you know, I wasn't -- you know, I wasn't expecting her to hit so many winners, which is very stupid of me. You know, I didn't get frustrated today. I knew that the door would open somehow, somewhere, and I took my chances when I needed them.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, pretty much. You know, I think I learn a lot from losses, and I think losses make me a lot tougher. You know, they make me want to go out on the practice court and work a lot harder. So probably, you know, I was very disappointed, and I went out there and I worked really hard. You know, I thought about the things I needed to work on. After Serena's loss, I knew I had a tournament next week, and I was just so mentally ready and I wanted to win. I didn't want to lose any more, especially after having match points. I didn't feel like losing any more, and I didn't want to lose. So it was just mentally and physically trying to get prepared to win.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it's my future goal. But I'm not -- you know, I'm not putting pressure on myself that it has to be in two weeks or three weeks or in the next six months. Whenever it comes, it will come. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, yeah, I think confidence is a part of it. I think experience plays a big part in it. I feel that, you know, I'm a much more experienced player when I'm down Love-30 on my serve. You know, it is the confidence obviously. You know, I know it works well and it's like I have a lot of experience behind my back and I feel good about myself, even when I'm down Love-30. Obviously, it has a lot to do with confidence and having matches behind your back. But it also comes with experience. That's what I feel. A year ago, when I was down Love-30, I would panic and think, "What do I do now? I'm serving and I'm down Love-30."

MARIA SHARAPOVA: For sure.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It's going to be very interesting because the last two appearances we've played on really fast courts. You know, Tokyo was just really fast. I don't think we had a lot of long rallies in the match. It was about, you know, serving well and returning well. But I'm really excited. It's definitely not going to be an easy match. But, you know, playing her two months ago, I feel that I think I know what I need to do, and hopefully I'll go out there and play as well as I did today. But, you know, she's playing well, too. I'm expecting a really good match.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, well, you know, it's like he's Mr. Perfect and nothing's going wrong for him at this point. But, yeah, he's so talented. He just plays so loose. It seems like he's playing without any effort, you know, plays always by instinct, I feel. It's great to see such a champion on the court and off the court, as well. Of course you admire people like that.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, it's good laughter because I'm so bad. I just laugh at myself all the time. It's good to get out there. I hate being in my hotel room all day, just sitting around, waiting, doing my homework. I'd rather be out in the fresh air, you know, being competitive and having fun with my team.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: My return?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yes, the men usually have a bigger serve. Yeah, I train it with my sparring partners.