Maria Sharapova’s Return to Form

When Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004, she was being hailed as the next big thing. She was only 17-years-old and had just defeated Serena Williams in the final, merely two days after coming back from a 6-2, 3-1 deficit against Lindsay Davenport. It was clear that the young Russian was something special, but perhaps that still didn't warrant the hysteria of fans and pundits alike who seem to always expect too much.

Over the years, she has gone onto to win two further Slams, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008. In the four years between winning her first and her last major title, she was a steady performer who spent a brief period as World No. 1. In early 2007, however, she developed a shoulder injury that forced her to miss some of the season. The injury also had an adverse affect on her serve. Sharapova went from possessing one of the best serves in the women's game to someone who regularly made double faults. A change was needed, so she began serving with a more abbreviated motion.

Despite winning the Australian Open in 2008, her form was a little erratic. Later on in the same year, she had to have a long lay-off in order to have surgery on her shoulder. She didn't return to action until just before the 2009 French Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. It was impressive display considering her substantial time away from the game, but, once again, it sent the media into a frenzy as they expected great things from her almost immediately.

In the rest of 2009, Sharapova was doing well, despite not performing at the majors. In the smaller tournaments, she was reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals on a regular basis, yet her early exits at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open seemed to be cause for concern for many people. In particular, her third-round defeat at the U.S. Open to Melanie Oudin comes to mind. It was a match that saw her make 60 unforced errors and a career-high 21 double-faults.

After that loss, she changed her service action back to one similar to her pre-surgery action. As a result, her serving has improved considerably. In fact, she produced her fastest serve ever in Birmingham earlier this year, at 121 mph. The start of 2010 didn't see a change in fortune as she was ousted from the Australian Open in the first round. Some were wondering whether she would ever get back to the level she was at a few years prior.

At this juncture, it's important to note that Sharapova was never the best player around. She is prone to making unforced errors and her movement, though improving, has never been what it could be. That lack of movement is sometimes her downfall because she isn't in position to rip a forehand winner down the line, but she goes for it anyway. All that does is adds another error to the unforced error count.

The decision to go for a winner from a poor position also demonstrates, possibly, her biggest weakness. Her decision-making can be strange at times and it often shows a player that is frustrated and impatient. Having listed some of her flaws, it's important to note that her biggest asset is her fighting spirit. It's because of her ability to fight until the end that means she should never be counted out.

Recent form suggests that Sharapova is once again a force to be reckoned with. She reached the finals in both Stanford and Cincinnati, meaning that she has made four finals this year. However, she has yet to lift a trophy this year. Over the course of the 11 matches she played at the two recent tournaments, she beat three higher-ranked players (Elena Dementieva, Agnieszka Radwanska (twice), and Svetlana Kuznetsova).

Perhaps a slight concern is that she has yet to convert her fine form into a tournament victory, but it's all part of a process. It's unrealistic to expect people to comeback from injury and be the same player that they were all along. Often, it can be a very long process. Sharapova's aforementioned fighting spirit means that she is always a contender and the fact that she is one of the most in-shape players on the tour suggests that she may silence all her critics at Flushing Meadows.