So today when she dropped the first set to Jamilla Groth, 4-6, you had to wonder if the good Maria was back or the bad Maria, who struggled since coming back from shoulder surgery, was still around.

“I think she came out today and really swung and didn’t give me much time to do anything out there,” Sharapova said after taking the next two sets, 6-3 6-1. “She served really well in the first set.  I wasn’t returning that well, giving her a lot of looks, you know, on second serves.

“Against a player like that, who kind of plays the 1‑2 punch type of tennis, you know, it’s quite difficult to get a rhythm in the beginning.

“You know, I just hung in there.  Between the first and second set, I knew that it wasn’t over.  In tennis you have either two or three sets to play.  So I still knew I had my chances.”

Sharapova then dominated and cruised to the win. She needs to send a message as a potential Quarterfinal with No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki looms early next week.

But first she needs to continue to finish her matches strong. Next up is Iveta Benesova in the second round and as of right now, she is still trying to find her form in this Open.

“Based on my results in the past,” she said, “I’ve been in different situations coming into a Grand Slam playing really well in the beginning, playing well throughout, or starting quite slow and then finding my game throughout.

“So it depends.  It really depends on the tournament, the situation, your opponent, really getting through matches.  Days like this where your opponent was playing really well, you really have to find, you know, ways to hang in there and ways to fight.  And at the end of the day, just hope you give yourself another opportunity.”

Sharapova actually looks the strongest since she had shoulder surgery back in Oct. 2008. When she came back last year, her serve looked weak as she was recovering from the injury. But now, she’s fully healthy and time to turn the page.

“Yeah, last year with my whole game, I was just trying to find, you know, where my feet were on the ground, just trying to find my position, see how I could handle playing a lot of matches under different circumstances,” she said. “You know, this year, you know, a whole year with the tournaments and experience, it feels really good to be healthy coming in, just playing and not worrying about, uhm, how physically you feel.”

In 2010, Sharapova took two smaller tournaments the first was in February in Memphis and then right before Roland Garros in Strasberg. But these smaller tourneys are not what she’s looking for. Not with three Grand Slams under her belt, yet none since the surgery.

“Experience helps,” she said.  “But, I don’t know, it’s really at the end of the day about going out there and doing it and finding the mental strength, the physical strength, you know, challenging yourself to go out there and be better every day.”

And today Groth learned that from Sharapova and now Benesova is in her the way of the Great Maria Comeback.

Sharapova reeled off five consecutive games to reach a 5-2 lead over current world #8 Jelena Jankovic, before Jankovic retired the match due to injury, to win the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

“We want to congratulate Maria on her title in Tokyo and all she has already accomplished during her comeback,” said Linda Glassel, VP of Marketing at Prince. “Getting over shoulder surgery is no small feat, for any athlete, and we are proud to continue to work and supply Maria with the most technically advanced product to not only help her get her back to #1 in the world, but raise her game to new heights.”

“It’s great to have that adrenaline again. It’s funny to win trophies again after thinking I might never be able to hit a tennis ball again,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova. “But I’m back and I’m hungry. I can be better than before and win more Grand Slams.”

The win marks Sharapova’s 20th career title and first since Amelia Island in April of 2008. It was Sharapova’s second final in her last three tournament appearances.

Sharapova is one of more than 20 ATP and WTA touring pros currently using the Prince O3 Speedport Black. Prince’s performance racquet line features racquets with the Company’s ground-breaking O-technology – easily identifiable by the large, visible ports along the racquet frame.
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For more information about the O3 Speedport Black, other models in Prince’s performance racquet line or any other categories, visit www.princetennis.com

“Ooo! Oooo! Oudin,” following American Melanie Oudin’s second consecutive upset at Ashe- this time getting the better of former U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova in a topsy turvy three-hour three setter that had plenty of drama.

The 17 year-old Atlanta, Georgia native showed maturity beyond her years rallying from a set down to pull out a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win in front of a very supportive packed house. Not surprisingly, with Sharapova still struggling mightily with a new serve since her return from shoulder surgery, the match featured 16 breaks with each fiery competitor getting eight.

Unfortunately for the 22 year-old Russian star, she bent last dropping serve when a focused Oudin hit a return forehand winner smack on the line for a fifth straight break. Neither player could handle holding but this time, the gritty kid maintained her composure by getting more first serves in to serve it out. On match point, she went for an ace up the tee drawing a short Sharapova reply. With Ashe Stadium sensing the end, Oudin didn’t miss rifling a crosscourt forehand winner before dropping her racket in disbelief and screaming in delight as loud cheers followed.

Her opponent greeted her at the net and then came a nice postmatch interview with CBS’ Mary Joe Fernandez who also doubles as her Fed Cup coach. It was a great moment as she emotionally thanked everyone for “<em>cheering for her.</em>”

How could they not? This girl is very easy to root for because of the effort she puts in. Sure. She admitted to benefiting from a few of Sharapova’s nightmarish 21 double faults. But this was still a three-time slam winner who didn’t give up despite the dreadful serve. In the second set, Oudin led 5-1 before Maria made things more interesting forcing the youngster to courageously serve it out.
<blockquote>“<em>I’ve always been so competitive,</em>” Oudin said. “<em>I go out there and fight as hard as I can. I have ‘Believe’ on my shoes. That’s what I did today. I ended up winning and I’m just so happy.</em>“</blockquote>
It was even more unpredictable in the final set where Oudin was so close to a double break lead for 4-1 but a determined Sharapova saved every break point holding before using an injury timeout to treat her right forearm. The tactic worked as her younger opponent slowed down getting broken to level at three all. But every time you thought the more experienced champ had the momentum, her inconsistent serve let her down. When she wasn’t tossing in doubles, it was Oudin who was outhitting her from the baseline. No small feat given how much power Sharapova can generate.

A true testament to Oudin’s will and also her footspeed which was evident all match with some incredible defense played even producing many of her 22 winners. She converted eight of 26 break chances to Sharapova’s eight for 14. But in the end, the emerging American star held her nerves closing out a great champion.

Indeed, it was well earned as was her comeback win over another Russian, No.4 seed Elena Dementieva a round prior. And so, Oudin moves onto a Round of 16 match against one more Russian, No.13 Nadia Petrova, who easily dispatched Jie Zheng 6-4, 6-1.

Can she keep it going? Oudin’s part of the section includes former Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and 19 year-old No.9 seed Caroline Wozniacki. But first, she’ll have to get past Petrova.

It’s hard not to get excited. There’s so much fight in her. Even though she missed earlier chances to finish off Sharapova earlier, Oudin never got down instead continuing to be positive.

Amazing stuff from the 5-6 girl who won’t turn 18 until later this month. She might be short in stature but not in heart.

“I just kept fighting as hard as I could, tried as hard as I could,” she said. “I just can’t even believe it.”