Maria Sharapova continues to plow ahead despite the shoulder tendinitis that plagued her at the French Open as the top seed this week at the DFS Classic in
Birmingham.
"I can't even begin to say how happy I am when this time of the year, the grass season, comes around," Sharapova said. "It has a special place in my career and my heart."
The Russian's serve, shaky due to the shoulder injury, will be tested during the
Wimbledon tune-up event.
Sharapova won the DFS Classic before winning Wimbledon in 2004, and took a late wildcard into this year's event.
Joining the Russian former No. 1 among the Top 8 seeds are Serb
Jelena Jankovic, Slovak
Daniela Hantuchova, China's
Na Li, France's
Marion Bartoli, the Ukraine's
Alona Bondarenko, Japan's
Ai Sugiyama, and Italian
Mara Santangelo.
In last year's all-unseeded final Russian
Vera Zvonareva beat American
Jamea Jackson 7-6(12), 7-6(5).
