Maria Sharapova Is Happy To Be Fit And Back On The Court
With boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov in tow, Maria Sharapova has arrived in Brisbane and says she’s finally back to good after missing the end of 2013 with a shoulder injury.
“I gave it enough time to recover and get better, that was extremely important for me that’s why I had to miss a big chunk of the end of the season but in order to come here feeling strong I had to do that,” Sharapova told the website for the Brisbane International, site of her first event of 2014.
“I feel like I’I’ve had a really good off season, I started way ahead of schedule – I started practice when the last tournament was on for the girls – it’s just really fun for me to be back on court because I’ve really missed it.”
During her recovery, the 4th-ranked Sharapova added new coach Sven Groeneveld to the mix.
“I think new people give a new perspective on things,” said Sharapova. “When you’re at a certain level in your career there’s only a few percentages that can change a lot of things and we’ve had a lot of fun in the last couple of months – we’ve done great work and this is going to be a long year but I’m looking forward to it.”
Sven's first credential #photobomb #whoopsies pic.twitter.com/5K1ceN2d6V
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) December 26, 2013
Sharapova jettisoned Tomas Hogstedt last summer before a quick, 1-match stint with Jimmy Connors who saw her lost to Sloane Stephens in Cincinnati in her most recent match.
Sharapova, who hasn’t won a title since April when her shoulder first flared up, has had success in Australia winning in Melbourne in 2008 and twice finishing runner-up.
Last year she lost in the semifinals at the Australian Open to Li Na.
Joining the Russian at the event will be her main rivals Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.
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