WIMBLEDON

June 29, 2004

Maria Sharapova

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Maria Sharapova.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, I didn't believe it at all. These things don't happen every day. Especially looking at the first two sets, I was always down. I never thought that I could turn it around. But somehow I did. Just emotions, definitely.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: You could have just asked that question without telling me about the point.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I don't really think about the points when I play. But a few points can definitely turn the match around. And instead of losing, I just won, and I'm in the semis. It's a very good feeling. But I'm not going to think about it's destined to be or it's not destined to be, things like that. I just want to keep going and keep playing and keep having fun.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, I haven't surprised myself because I've been playing very well on grass and I've been feeling very good and just coming off of a title in Birmingham, knowing that this is one of my favorite surfaces, you know. This is where my game sometimes comes together. So I was very happy that somehow it came together today.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think the first two sets she got some amazing balls that usually with other people would be winners 10 balls ago. But she makes you play ball after ball after ball. Especially on grass when it's so fast, sometimes you don't expect these things to happen. It's not like we're playing on clay where I know that everything is going to come back. But she just played amazing. Everything she got, she hit a very good shot out of it. I mean, it was so consistent that just ball after ball after ball, her balls are so deep that sometimes I try to do a little bit more extra because I knew that is what it would take to actually win the point. Sometimes I think I tried to do a little too much. I was a little unlucky in the first set where some of the balls just missed by few inches. It happened with a few points. You know, somehow I just got into my game. I didn't really change anything except I served a lot better in the third set. But my game plan, it didn't really change.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't think my return was very consistent in the first two sets. Giving her all the credit for serving well because she did serve quite well for the first two sets. In the third set, I kind of realized that I looked back and I thought, "Well, you haven't been returning well, so why don't you go in and just step it up out there, get to the baseline, sometimes just rip?" I think a few balls I got even lucky and a few balls maybe she miss-hit. I mean, it seemed easy, the third set, but it really wasn't because I had to fight for it, even on her serve.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't know about the noise, but game-wise I felt a lot better, a lot better with my game in the third set. I felt like from any position in the court I could hit a good shot. That's a good feeling to have when you're in the third set. We had so many rallies that I kind of knew what she was doing, you know, what her game plan was a little bit, got used to her game because I never played her before.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No. I always wear a cross.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, no, no. This I wore all my life. I just always wear a cross.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Oh, gosh. I don't know. Because the Juniors is a totally different story than the professional tour. It's amazing what a difference it is really. But learning-wise, I don't think I learned that much about being in the Juniors. But I think last year being in the pros for the first year gave me a lot of experience because I played some top names and I won a few good matches and I got experience from others and I did well. I think experience definitely helps, especially in these situations. I'm only 17 and I haven't had that much experience. I learned a lot in the last year.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I sure hope so because, I mean, if she kept running like that in the third set, that's just too good, you know. There's not much you could do. And like I said, a few balls, I just got a little bit unlucky. I made a few errors which I shouldn't have made, but some balls were just a little bit out. She did make me go for my shots a little bit more to hit the winner, and I knew that she was just playing good tennis. She was running everything down. And I knew that she was quick, but I was a little surprised because it was grass and sometimes points finish a little quicker. But we had some long rallies today.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Oh, I don't really think about that for my side. I'm just happy to be in the semifinals. That's what I'm really concerned about. Unfortunately, you know, we don't have any more Russians out there. But, you know, I'm happy that I am the only one, of course.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I'm definitely going to try. I'm going to give it my all. That's what I'm here for, and I want to win this tournament. I want it very bad. When you have a big passion for something and you want to achieve something, I mean, I'm going to give it my all definitely.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, Lansdorp. But he coached here a long time ago.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: In the game?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, we both hit a pretty powerful ball, both have a pretty good serve. She's a great champion. I mean, one word about her, she's won this tournament and I want this tournament, so it's going to be interesting.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think at this point I'm going to have a day off tomorrow, so just going to practice a little bit. Nothing, I mean, just like what I've been doing the last matches. It's not really anything special.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I tell you one thing, the match was very tight today. I did go to the net and I was very proud of myself because I don't do that quite enough as I would like to do it. So actually, I went to the net from a second serve, I don't know what I was thinking on that ball. But I did.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, when I play, I don't think about -- of course, it really depends who you play. But on this surface, I mean, the points are quick. You have to somehow adjust. But, of course, the powerful game really works on the surface.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Who?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: The Russian girls?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: To tell you the truth, I get along with many of the girls. But this is a tour, and it's a professional sport, and it's very difficult to be friends because you never know, you might be playing them in the next round. Of course, you want to beat them. But I'm pretty good friends with Maria Kirilenko, all the Russian girls I know them well. We always have conversations, we always laugh together. We have very friendly attitudes towards each other. Also, I mean, I really get along with everybody.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yes, because I want to thank them. It's very important because they're the ones that go out, they're fans, they cheer for you, they watch your match and they enjoy the tennis. You just want to give back to them and say, "Thank you for coming out and thank you for supporting both of us." I mean it's always good when somebody supports your sport and buys a ticket and goes and watches you. And when you win, you just want to say thank you.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, I never thought about that, no.