2 января 2015, 19:32 3 мин.

2015 Preview: WTA No. 2, Maria Sharapova

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 02, 2015 /BY STEVE TIGNOR

How many lives does Maria Sharapova have as a player? After a decade’s worth of winners, double faults, shrieks, injuries, coaching changes, clenched fists and Grand Slam titles, she must be up to her fifth or sixth by now. But the 27-year-old keeps coming back. Sharapova started 2014 trying out a new coaching team, and trying to shake off an old shoulder problem. After getting out of the gates slowly, she ended it at No. 2 in the world, and she won her fifth major title, in Paris, in the grittiest performance of the season on either tour.

Yet much like Serena Williams in 2014, it was hard to feel confident in Sharapova from one tournament to the next, and even one day to the next. She melted down in the round of 16 at three of the majors, and struggled against the tour’s best players at the WTA Finals. Once again, her best results came on clay, in Madrid and Paris. Sharapova should be commended for turning herself into a bona fide dirtballer in the middle of the career, but has the shift adversely affected her on other surfaces? She hasn’t won a Slam outside of Roland Garros since 2008.

Best Case Scenario

Sharapova had her share of downs along with the ups in 2014. But this season she should benefit from a year’s worth of work with coach Sven Groeneveld; they’ve already won a Slam together.

Worst Case Scenario

She has always had her bad days, but when Sharapova was off in 2014, she was really off, and no amount of grit and fight could save her. That could, after a dozen years on tour, be an early sign of decline.

Bottom Line

Her hunger hasn’t diminished, and she’ll be the woman to beat on clay. The big question will be whether Sharapova can find success again on other surfaces now that she’s in her late 20s.