AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 14, 2006

Maria Sharapova

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I do. I'm really excited to start off the new year with, you know, a good and positive note. I'm really, really excited to be, you know, back playing. I had a good rest at the end of the year. I'm committed to a very good 2006.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I took a nice vacation and then I started training. I trained for maybe five, six weeks. I went on my tour in Japan. I had to train -- you know, had to take a little bit off after that and then trained for another week.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, I wouldn't say my shoulder is a hundred percent, but at this point it's not going to get any worse, I've been told by doctors. You know, even when I feel a little bit of pain, I feel that it's not going to be any worse than it is. So it makes me feel better. I'm a tough girl. I can play with a little bit of pain.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think a lot of it has to do with your mind. Before I was worried that it can get worse and I can damage it or tear something. You know, I took a lot of tests at one of the best clinics in the States. They said that I didn't have any, you know, major problems. But because I had it for so long and because nobody could really pinpoint the problem and tell me what's going on, it's kind of been frustrating. But yet I kind of know what the problem is now. I know that it's nothing -- it's not a major tear, nothing that major that can stop me from playing, which is really good news.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't think you can get tendinitis in your pec, can you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It's a few things. Like I said, because I've had it for a while, I kind of had bad mechanics. My scapula, it has something to do with my scapula. I'm not a doctor. I probably don't even know how to spell "scapula" or "spatula," whatever it is. I had a dislocated rib that they had to crack into place. That kind of gave me bad mechanics. I was using the wrong muscles at the wrong times. You're under a tough situation when you're playing a match. It's totally different compared to practice. That was the problem. In the practice, everything was great. Then I'd go play a match. You know, because it's a tenser situation, naturally everything tenses up. The wrong muscles are starting to compensate, everything kind of went out of place.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, no. We thought it was, but...

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I've known Maria for many years. I always thought she had really great potential. She's a great athlete, moves great around the court. I always expected good things from her, wasn't surprised when she won the title. Played great tennis. But I think different people I guess have their peaks at different times. I think she just needed a little bit more time to kind of mature and get the experience. That just depends on the individual. But, you know, she's a very good friend of mine.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think we were maybe 12 or 13.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, at a junior tournament, uh-huh.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: If I was a psychic, I'd tell you, but I don't really know (smiling). I wish I knew. I guess you just hope for the best and you train and you work hard. I mean, I don't know. I'd love to win a Slam this year, yeah.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, I don't comment on my personal life. I'm sorry.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, well, I was in two different places. I went to the car bean. I was in Turks and Caicos. Then I went to -- Richard Branson invited me to his island, Necker, for another week. I had a little bit of both places. Fun under the sun.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Was I recognized? In Turks, yeah. In Necker, there's nobody there. I mean, it's like your own island to yourself. But, no, it was fun. It wasn't bad.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I am. I honestly think it brings so much more excitement to the game and so much more attention, just make it more exciting. I mean, obviously right now she's not seeded, so sometimes she can play a seed first round. It's just kind of that unexpected great player that you can play maybe first round, like it happened last week. It brings a lot of excitement, that's for sure.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I mean, I can't say. I wouldn't know. I mean, it's definitely not easy at the beginning. She still has all the experience. But health-wise, I don't think it's really easy just to come back and be healthy when you're playing so many tournaments at a time, when you haven't played for a long time. But, you know, that depends on the individual.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I I'm playing with the 03 racquet, White. Yeah, I tried -- I just wanted to try a few different racquets after the year ended. As soon as I picked it up, I really liked it. I felt really good. Doesn't happen often, when you pick up a racquet and you feel good about it. Didn't have any problems with it. It kind of helps me a little bit, gives me an extra -- gives me an extra, I guess, umph on the ball. When you're playing defense, I feel like there's a little bit more on the ball. Usually I like to be in control of things. I know a lot of the racquets these days have so much power, they string them so loose, that you don't have any control over your ball. I'm the total opposite. I want to make sure, I want to be the one hitting the shots and knowing where they're going. With this racquet, I think I can do that. But it helps me I think. With the other one, I think maybe I had to do a little too much, you know. I think maybe this can help my arm, as well.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah. Everything is the same. The dimensions are the same. The weight is a little bit more. But I think if you want a little bit more power, it has to be a little bit more.