A Good Wrongfulness

Let's pretend that this is 2009. Ask me a question regarding one of my favourite female players. "Do you think Maria Sharapova will ever find her old form?"

Almost instantly I would answer, "No. I don't even think she would ever reach the Top 10 again."

As we all know, Maria was hindered by a shoulder injury that took her out of the Top 100 in 2008 - 2009 (ironically, she started the 2008 season by winning the Australian Open and on May 14, 2008, she reached the No. 1 ranking after Justine retired for the first time). Coming back in 2009, she reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, but failed to go far at both Wimbledon (lost to Gisela Dulko in the second round) and the US Open (lost a three-set thriller in the third round to Melanie Oudin--where is that girl now by the way?). When she finally reached the Top 20 again, I was thrilled, but I thought that was it; she would never go beyond Top 20. Top 10? So far away. Top 5? Even farther. Grand Slam final? Heck, no. No. 1 ranking? Unreachable.

Less than two years later, I was proven wrong for the umpteenth time in my life as a hardcore tennis fan. She won in Rome. Rome. Claycourt tournament. Undoubtedly her least favourite surface (she compared herself on clay to a cow on ice--true story). And at Roland Garros, she reached the semifinals. Losing to...no less than eventual champion, Li Na. After Rome, she was back in the Top 10. Was I surprised? Very much. I laughed at myself for seeing Maria like any other cheer-leading players in 2009 and 2010 (well, Justine was around in 2010, so everyone else sort of seemed like cheerleaders to me). Last year at Wimbledon, she reached the...final. By defeating Comeback Queen of 2010 Sabine Lisicki. And as I already wrote, she lost to Petra Kvitova. But it didn't matter; her reaching the final was enough of a surprise to me (and to many other people, I suppose).

And this year, she reached the final at the Australian Open. She lost (badly, I have to say) but I was satisfied that she reached the No. 2 ranking. FRICKIN' No. 2 ranking. What a pleasant surprise it was.

Then, the claycourt season came. Again, she reached the final in Rome. She lost the first set to Li, won the second, and just as they were about to play the final set tiebreak, it was raining. So heavily that there was no play for several hours. But when they resumed, Maria cruised. She reclaimed the title in Rome, and thus was more than ready to face Paris.

I have to say Maria has been really, really solid throughout Roland Garros. She got past her opponents with ease, until the fourth round match against Klara Zakopalova. Heck, she could've won the match in straight sets if it wasn't for that umpire who thought Maria attempted to stop a rally during the second set tiebreak. And in the semifinals, she faced Petra, who has also been pretty solid throughout the tournament. Much to my surprise, Maria showed her A game (plus Petra brainfarted a little bit in the match) and went onto the final where she is to face Sara Errani, who beat reigning US Open Champion Sam Stosur in the other semifinal. No. 1 ranking regained, hope for a Career Grand Slam kept alive.

Three years from today, I would prepare for a world-class facepalm everytime I watched Maria play. Back then, she seemed so far away from the top spot I dared to say it was beyond reach for her.

Again, I'm glad I was wrong.

The conquest for a Career Grand Slam is very much alive;
Maria Sharapova, crowned World No. 1 for the first time since
2008, is to face Sara Errani (ITA) in the final of Roland Garros.