Squash racquet and ball

Racquetball racquet and ball

A racquet or racket^[1] (from Arabic rahah, meaning "palm of hand", via Italian^[2]) is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Collectively, these games are known as racquet sports.

The frame of racquets for all sports was traditionally made of laminated wood and the strings of animal intestine known as catgut. The traditional racquet size was limited by the strength and weight of the wooden frame which had to be strong enough to hold the strings and stiff enough to hit the ball or shuttle. Manufacturers started adding non-wood laminates to wood racquets to improve stiffness. Non-wood racquets were made first of steel, then of aluminium, and then carbon fiber composites. Wood is still used for real tennis, racquets, and xare. Most racquets are now made of composite materials including carbon fibre, fiberglass, metals such as titanium alloys or ceramics.

Gut has partially been replaced by synthetic materials including nylon, polyamide, and other polymers. Racquets are restrung when necessary, which may be after every match for a professional or never for a social player.

Badminton[link]

Badminton racquets

Badminton racquets are light, with top quality racquets weighing between about 80 and 100 grams (with strings). Modern racquets are composed of carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic), which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon fibre composite, racquets were made of wood to their excessive weight and cost.

There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the racquet size and shape are limited by the Laws. Different racquets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometric head shape is increasingly common in new racquets.

Racquets[link]

This predecessor to the modern game of squash, racquets, is played with 30½ inch (775 mm) wooden racquets. While squash equipment has evolved in the intervening century, racquets have changed little.

Racquetball[link]

According to the current Racquetball rules^[3] there are no limitations on the weight of a racquetball racquet.

1. The racquet, including bumper guard and all solid parts of the handle, may not exceed 22 inches in length.
2. The racquet frame may be any material judged safe.
3. The racquet frame must include a cord that must be securely attached to the player's wrist.
4. The string of the racquet must be gut, monofilament, nylon, graphite, plastic, metal, or a combination thereof, and must not mark or deface the ball.
5. Using an illegal racquet will result in forfeiture of the game in progress or, if discovered between games, forfeiture of the preceding game.

Racquetball racquets, unlike many other types, generally have little or no neck; the grip connecting directly to the head. They also tend to have head shapes that are notably wider at the top, with some older racquets looking almost triangular or teardrop shaped.

Real tennis[link]

Real tennis racquets and balls

The 27-inch (686-mm) long racquets are made of wood and use very tight strings to cope with the heavy ball of real tennis. The racquet head is bent slightly to make it easier to strike balls close to the floor or in corners.

Squash[link]

'Standard' squash racquets are governed by the rules of the game. Traditionally they were made of laminated timber (typically Ash), with a small strung area using natural 'gut' strings.^[4] After a rule change in the mid-1980s, they are now almost always made of composite materials or metals (graphite, Kevlar, titanium, and/or boron) with synthetic strings.^[4] Modern racquets are 70 cm long, with a maximum strung area of 500 square centimetres (approximately 75 square inches) and a mass between 110 and 200 grams (4–7 ounces).

Tennis[link]

A modern tennis racquet, with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer frame.

The parts of a tennis racquet are the head, rim, face, neck,butt/butt cap, handle, and strings.

Modern tennis racquets vary in length, weight, and head size. 21" to 26" is normally a junior's length, while 27" or 27.5" are for stronger and taller adult players. Weights of a racquet also vary between 8 ounces (230 g) unstrung and 12.5 ounces (350 g) strung. Racquets originally flared outward at the bottom of the handle to prevent slipping. The rounded bottom was called a bark bottom after its inventor Matthew Barker. But by 1947 this style became superfluous. Head size also plays a role in a racquet's qualities. A larger head size generally means more power, and a larger "sweet spot" that is more forgiving on off-center hits. A smaller head size offers more precise control. Current racquet head sizes vary between 88 sq. inches and 137 sq. inches, with most players adopting one from 95-105 sq. inches.

Throughout most of tennis' history, racquets were made of laminated wood, with heads of around 65 square inches. In the late 1960s, Wilson produced the T2000 steel racquet with wire wound around the frame to make string loops. It was popularized by the top American player Jimmy Connors. In 1975, aluminum construction allowed for the introduction of the first "oversized" racquet, which was manufactured by Weed. Prince popularized the oversize racquet, which had a head size of approximately 110 square-inches and opened the door for the introduction of racquets having other non-standard head sizes such as midsize (90 square inches) and mid-plus size (95 square inches). In the early 1980s, "graphite" (carbon fibre) composites were introduced, and other materials were added to the composite, including ceramics, glassfibre, boron, and titanium. The Dunlop Max200G used by John McEnroe from 1983 was an early graphite racquet, along with the very popular Prince "Original" Graphite. Composite racquets are the contemporary standard.

Longer racquets were introduced by Dunlop^[5] in order to give additional reach for shots such as the serve and volley where shorter players may be at a disadvantage. Midsize or mid-plus racquets are the general standard for professional players.

Stringing (material, pattern, tension) is an important factor in the performance of a tennis racquet. A few elite players use natural gut, but the vast majority of strings are a nylon or polyester synthetic. Some (American champion Pete Sampras is a prominent example) consider the natural string to be more responsive, providing a better "feel", but synthetic is favored for its much superior durability, consistency, as well as much lower cost. String pattern (the vertical/horizontal grid) is a function of the racquet head size and design. A tighter pattern is considered to deliver more precise control; a more "open" pattern to offer greater potential for power and spin. Modern racquets are marked with a recommended string tension range. The basic rule is that a lower tension creates more power (from a "trampoline" effect) and a higher string tension creates more control (the less 'trampoline effect' the more predictable the power and angle of the departure from the string bed.)

Double strung tennis racquets were introduced in 1977^[6] and then banned because they permitted excessive spin.^[7] A modern version of a legal double strung racquet has been introduced.^[8]

Table tennis[link]

Table Tennis racquet with 3 different sizes of the celluloid ball

A table tennis racquet is used by players in the game table tennis. The racquet is made from laminated wood covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player. This is called either a paddle, racquet, or a bat, with usage differing by region. In the USA the term "paddle" is common, in Europe the term is "bat", and the official ITTF term is "racket".

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up racquet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Badminton portal

• Tennis racquet design by Howard Head; (1974) Smithsonian Institution Libraries
• The History of Tennis Racquets — Evolution of the Modern Racquet
• How Products are Made - Tennis Racquet
• Gelberg, J. Nadine, "The Big Technological Tennis Upset", Invention & Technology magazine, 1997

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Marcos Baghdatis
Μάρκος Παγδατής

Country	Cyprus
Residence	Limassol, Cyprus
Born	(1985-06-17) 17 June 1985 (age 27) Paramytha, Limassol District, Cyprus
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	82 kg (180 lb)
Turned pro	2003
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	$4,850,181
Singles
Career record	221-147
Career titles	4
Highest ranking	No. 8 (August 21, 2006)
Current ranking	No. 39 (April 30, 2012)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	F (2006)
French Open	4R (2007)
Wimbledon	SF (2006)
US Open	2R (2004, 2006) AO Juniors: W (2003) FO Juniors: QF (2003) W Juniors: 2R (2001, 2002) US Juniors: F (2002, 2003)
Doubles
Career record	34-34
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 93 (January 7, 2008)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2007)
French Open	–
Wimbledon	1R (2007)
US Open	–
Last updated on: May 4, 2012.

Marcos Baghdatis (Greek: Μάρκος Παγδατής, [ˈmarkos paɣðaˈtis]; Arabic: ماركوس بغداتيس‎; born 17 June 1985 in Limassol) is a Cypriot professional tennis player.^[1] He was the runner-up at the 2006 Australian Open and a semifinalist at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships and reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 8 in August 2006.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Marcos Baghdatis is the son of a Lebanese father, Christos, who migrated to Cyprus and a Greek Cypriot mother.^[1]

Baghdatis began playing tennis at age five with his father and brothers. He enjoys playing and watching football and is a supporter of Apollon Limassol in Cyprus. He trained at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Paris on an Olympic Solidarity Youth Development Programme Scholarship since the age of 13 and learned to speak French.

On January 28, 2006, Baghdatis received an exemption from the otherwise mandatory Greek Cypriot national service so that he could concentrate instead on playing tennis.

He received the 2005 Cyprus Male Athlete of the Year award.

Tennis career[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2011)

Baghdatis became the ITF World Junior Tennis Champion in 2003 and joined the ATP professional tour later that year.

2004[link]

Baghdatis performed moderately throughout most of 2004. He picked up his form later in that year.

At the US Open, Baghdatis played for the first time in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament. He defeated Olivier Mutis in a first-round match 2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 7–5. He was one of only two players who won a set from eventual champion Roger Federer (the other being Andre Agassi). Baghdatis then finished the year with two Challenger tournament titles, in which he defeated many higher-ranked opponents.

2005[link]

Baghdatis's 2005 season began with a first-round loss in the Chennai Open.

In his next tournament, the Australian Open, as a qualifier, Baghdatis defeated then-top-20 player Ivan Ljubičić in the second round and had a straight sets victory over another top-20 player, Tommy Robredo, in the third round, before losing to Roger Federer in the fourth round.

Baghdatis suffered an elbow injury right after the Australian Open and was out of the professional tour until late April, when he entered a clay court tournament, the Estoril Open in Portugal. He held two match points in his first-round match against a resurging Juan Carlos Ferrero, but failed to convert them into a win.

Baghdatis kept playing Challengers and qualifying for upper-tier ATP events for the rest of 2005 and found good form towards the end of the year. As a qualifier, he reached the final of the ATP tournament at Basel, defeating former world no. 2 Tommy Haas, world no. 40 José Acasuso, and the eventual 2005 Masters Cup champion David Nalbandian. But he lost the final to Fernando González 7–6, 4–6, 5–7, 4–6. Although he was not the first qualifier to reach an ATP tour event final, he was the first player from Cyprus to do so.^{[citation needed]}

2006[link]

Baghdatis entered the Australian Open as an unseeded player, under the coaching of Guillaume Peyre, and produced an unexpected four-set 6–4, 1–6, 6–3, 6–4 victory over second-seed and world No. 3 Andy Roddick in the fourth round. He then defeated the seventh seed Ivan Ljubičić in the quarterfinals 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3. In the semifinals, he came back from two sets down to defeat fourth seed David Nalbandian 3–6, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4. The vocal support he enjoyed from his local fans (consisting mostly of members of Melbourne's large Greek Australian community) throughout the tournament was considered one of the highlights of the tournament. In the final, Baghdatis started strongly (being a set and a break up with a chance to double break), but eventually lost to world no. 1 Roger Federer 5–7, 7–5, 6–0, 6–2.^{[citation needed]}

At the French Open, Baghdatis lost in the second round in five sets to Julien Benneteau.

At Wimbledon, Baghdatis defeated Andy Murray in the fourth round in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, Baghdatis beat the 2002 champion and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. Baghdatis then lost to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals in 3 sets.

At the US Open, Baghdatis defeated Alexander Waske of Germany in the first round. He played retiring U.S. player Andre Agassi in the second round, and in a long match that lasted past midnight, Baghdatis lost 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 5–7. This was to be the final victory of Agassi's twenty year professional career, as he lost to Benjamin Becker in the following round.

At the China Open, an ATP International Series event, Baghdatis defeated Mario Ančić in the final 6–4, 6–0, for his first career ATP tournament championship.

2007[link]

Marcos Baghdatis serving at the 2007 US Open

Baghdatis was the eleventh seed at the Australian Open but could not match his success from the previous year, losing a second-round match to Gaël Monfils 6–7, 2–6, 6–2, 0–6.

He won his next tournament in Zagreb, defeating Ivan Ljubičić in the final 7–6, 4–6, 6–4. At the Open 13 tournament in Marseille, France, Baghdatis advanced to his second consecutive singles final and the fifth of his career, where he lost to Gilles Simon in two sets.

At the French Open, Baghdatis defeated Sébastien Grosjean in the first round 6–3, 6–2, 6–4. He then beat Kristian Pless to advance to the third round. There, he defeated Jan Hájek. In the fourth round, Baghdatis lost to Igor Andreev in four sets.

At the first grass-court tournament of the season in Halle, Baghdatis reached his sixth career singles final by defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals 7–6, 6–4. In the final, which took place on his birthday, he lost to Tomáš Berdych.

At Wimbledon, as the tenth seed, he made it to the quarterfinals for the second straight year, defeating Ernests Gulbis, Nicolas Devilder, David Nalbandian, and sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, before losing to Novak Djokovic in a five-hour match. At the next Grand Slam, the 2007 US Open, Baghdatis was defeated by no. 106 ranked Max Mirnyi in the first round.

At the 2007 Paris Masters, Baghdatis found good form. He reached the semifinals by defeating Nikolay Davydenko and Tommy Robredo. He then lost to second seed Rafael Nadal in three sets.

2008[link]

Baghdatis started his season on the 2008 ATP Tour at the 2008 Chennai Open in India, where he lost to Robin Haase in the first round. ^[4]

At the 2008 Australian Open, Baghdatis defeated Thomas Johansson and 2005 champion Marat Safin, before losing in the third round to Lleyton Hewitt, in five sets. This match lasted 282 minutes, beginning at 11:52 pm and finishing at 4:34 am.^[5]

At the 2008 Roland Garros, he lost in the first round to Simone Bolelli in three sets.

At the 2008 Halle Open in Germany, where he was the runner up in 2007, he lost to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.

At the 2008 Wimbledon championships, seeded tenth, Baghdatis progressed to the fourth round, where he faced Feliciano López.He lost in 5 sets.

Baghdatis suffered injuries for the remainder of the season. Thus, he did not participate in the 2008 US Open.

2009[link]

Marcos Baghdatis in 2009 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships

Entering 2009, ranked no. 96 (his best having been 8) and having not played since the ATP Paris Masters in late October 2008, Baghdatis entered the 2009 Brisbane International in preparation for the Australian Open, losing in the opening round to Jarkko Nieminen.

In the Australian Open, traditionally his best grand slam event, he began with a straight-sets win over 48th-ranked Frenchman Julien Benneteau and followed that up by ousting 16th-seed Robin Söderling in four sets and 23rd-seed Mardy Fish in straight sets to set up a fourth-round clash with third-seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic. The fourth round encounter with Djokovic started poorly for Baghdatis, going down 1–6 in the first set. The second set went into a tie-breaker, which Baghdatis lost 1–7. The third set went into another tie-breaker, but Baghdatis earned three set points, lost two of them on his own serve, and then took the tie-breaker on Djokovic's serve. After 3 hours and nearly 20 minutes, Baghdatis was unable to come back from an early break in the first game of the last set, as he missed two break opportunities and lost 1–6, 6–7, 7–6, 2–6.

After the Australian Open, he played in the SA Tennis Open tournament in Johannesburg and was the eighth seed. He defeated Andrew Anderson 6–4, 6–2, in the first round and wildcard Raven Klaasen 6–3, 7–5, in the second round. In the quarterfinals, he lost to David Ferrer 5–7, 2–6.

After getting a wildcard for San Jose, he drew sixth seeded American Sam Querrey in the first round, and lost in three tight sets 3–6, 7–5, 6–7.

At the 2009 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, Baghdatis defeated Ernests Gulbis 7–5, 6–2, in the first round and Dudi Sela 7–6, 6–3, in the second. He was defeated by Jérémy Chardy in the quarterfinals 6–7, 6–7.

Baghdatis found some form at the Ordina Open, 's-Hertogenbosch 250 tournament, beating 15th-ranked Tommy Robredo 7–5, 6–2, to move into the second round. In the second round, he suffered a match-ending knee injury when playing Raemon Sluiter.

Due to the knee injury suffered at 's-Hertogenbosch, he withdrew from the Wimbledon Championships.^[6]

Baghdatis returned to the ATP tour with a three-set loss to Wayne Odesnik in Indianapolis. In Los Angeles, he progressed to the second round after beating Frank Dancevic 7–6, 6–3, but was unable to maintain his form and was upset by John Isner in straight sets 3–6, 6–7, after holding a set point in the second set.

Baghdatis won the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, a Challenger event in Vancouver over Xavier Malisse in the final 6–4, 6–4. The title is Marcos’ first at any level since triumphing at the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament in Zagreb in February 2007.

Baghdatis failed to qualify for the Cincinnati Masters, losing to Robert Kendrick in the opening qualifying round.

Marcos won his second ATP Challenger Tour title of the season, after defeating Xavier Malisse again 6–4, 6–1, in the final of the Trophée des Alpilles in St. Remy. He won his opening match in the ATP 250 tournament in Kuala Lumpur, against Lu Yen-hsun 4–6, 6–3, 7–6, but was beaten by Mikhail Youzhny 2–6, 3–6, in the next round.

In the China Open, an ATP 500 tournament held in Beijing, he drew top seeded Rafael Nadal in the first round. He pushed him hard, but was eventually defeated 4–6 6–3 4–6. It was Nadal's sixth straight win over the Cypriot.

At the 2009 If Stockholm Open, Baghdatis reached his first ATP final since 2007 at Halle. In the opening round, he upset third seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets 6–4, 6–2. He followed this up with crushing victories over Robert Kendrick 6–2, 6–2, and Arnaud Clément 6–4, 6–4. Top-seed Robin Söderling gave Marcos a walkover into the final. Baghdatis beat Rochus in the final 6–1, 7–5, to win just his third ATP title, which ended his two and a half year title drought.

2010[link]

During the 2010 season, Baghdatis was the only player to beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal while they were world no. 1.

This season saw Baghdatis return to form. He started off the year at the Brisbane International, one of the first ATP 250 tournaments of the season. In the first round, he beat American Mardy Fish 7–5, 7–5, but he was soundly defeated in his second-round clash against hard-hitting Czech Tomáš Berdych 0–6, 1–6.

He then entered the next Australian Open series tournament, the Medibank International ATP tournament in Sydney. In his opening round, he looked rusty, but managed to beat Australian wildcard Nick Lindahl 6–2, 7–5. In the second round, he beat sixth seed Viktor Troicki 7–5, 6–3. He then stunned the fourth seed Lleyton Hewitt, rallying from a set and a break down in the second set (at 4–6, 1–2) to win 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, in the quarterfinals. Then he defeated Mardy Fish in another heart-stopping three-set win 6–4, 6–7, 7–6, in the semifinals. In the final, he faced Richard Gasquet. After epic drama with a rain delay (at the start of the second set) to add suspense, Baghdatis went on to triumph 6–4, 7–6. The win elevated his ATP ranking to no. 31.

At the 2010 Australian Open, Baghdatis beat Italian Paolo Lorenzi in the opening round 6–2, 6–4, 6–4, and defeated 17th seed David Ferrer in the second 4–6, 3–6, 7–6, 6–3, 6–1. This marked his second career victory after being down two sets to none, while suffering from leg cramping in the final game. He faced Lleyton Hewitt in the third round, a rematch of the same tournament and round exactly two years before. This time, however, a right shoulder injury forced Baghdatis to retire just 56 minutes into the match after trailing 0–6, 2–4.^[7][8] After this, his ranking dipped slightly to No. 34 (on January 1). After deciding not to defend his quarterfinal points at the 2010 SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg, his ranking dropped 2 places to no. 36 (on January 8).

His next appearance was at the 2010 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. There, he beat James Blake in a comfortable 6–4, 6–2 victory in the first round. However, he was beaten by in-form Nikolay Davydenko in the second round 3–6, 2–6.

He made a second-round appearance at the 2010 Open 13 tournament in Marseille, losing to eventual champion Michaël Llodra 6–7 4–6.

He then appeared at the 2010 Dubai Tennis Championships, but came into the tournament with stomach cramps (due to food poisoning). Despite the handicap, he courageously beat Frenchmen no. 8 seed Gilles Simon 7–6, 6–4, in the opening round. After a day of rest, he gained a 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 victory over Somdev Devvarman in the second round. In the quarterfinals, he defeated German Michael Berrer in straight sets 7–6, 6–1 (allowing no break point chances). In the semifinals, after being a set and a break up, he lost a frustrating match against no. 2 seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic 7–6, 3–6, 4–6.

He played at the 2010 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, as the 27th seed. After receiving a bye in the first round, he beat Arnaud Clément 7–6, 6–1, in the second round. In the third round, he went on to capture his biggest win to date, stunning world no. 1 and top seed Roger Federer 5–7, 7–5, 7–6, while saving three match points. By beating Federer for the first time in his career, he reversed a six-match losing streak. However, in the fourth round, he was unable to recuperate in time for his next match, losing to Tommy Robredo 5–7, 6–0, 4–6, despite coming into the match with a 3–0 head-to-head lifetime against Robredo.

At the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open after receiving a bye in the first round, he beat Juan Ignacio Chela 6–2, 6–4, in the second round. In the third round, he lost to seventh seed Marin Čilić in straight sets 3–6, 4–6.

He had a disappointing start to the clay-court season, being eliminated in the first rounds of both the 2010 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and the 2010 Rome Masters by Albert Montañés 4–6, 2–6, and Ernests Gulbis 2–6, 2–6, respectively.

He next played in the 2010 BMW Open, where he is seeded fifth. In the first round, he played German qualifier Peter Gojowczk and prevailed in three sets 3–6, 6–1, 6–2. In the second round, he took on Marco Chiudinelli, beating the Swiss in straight sets 6–3, 6–4. In the quarterfinals, the 2007 Champion and fourth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber stood in the way, but with some superb serving, Marcos eliminated the home favorite convincingly 6–3, 6–4. For a spot in the final, Baghdatis took on first seed Marin Čilić. Despite taking the first set, Baghdatis was unable to close out the match, eventually losing in three erratic sets 6–3, 2–6, 3–6.

He then made a quarterfinal appearance at the 2010 Open de Nice Côte d'Azur as the fifth seed, where he was upset by Argentinian Leonardo Mayer 7–5, 3–6, 4–6, despite saving 21/24 break points in the match.

At the 2010 French Open, Baghdatis was beaten by Britain's Andy Murray in the third round 2–6, 3–6, 6–0, 2–6.

Baghdatis suffered a surprisingly poor run in the 2010 grass-court season. He was dumped out in the first rounds in all three grass court tournaments he entered by Philipp Petzschner in Halle, Peter Luczak in s-Hertogenbosch, and Lukáš Lacko at Wimbledon. It was the worst showing he had had in Wimbledon, and even more disappointing as he had a good history record in the past few years there.

However, a reshuffle behind the scenes after the grass court season has resulted in Baghdatis once again working with Guillaume Perye.

Since then, he has reached the quarterfinals at the 2010 Farmers Classic tournament in Los Angeles, where he lost to Janko Tipsarević for the first time in their third meeting, and reached the final at the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, where he lost to in-form David Nalbandian, who marked his thorough comeback on the tour there.

He was ousted in the opening round at the 2010 Rogers Cup in Toronto, losing to Jérémy Chardy 5–7, 6–2, 6–7.

At the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women's Open in Cincinnati, he found decent form. In the first round, he beat Marin Čilić for the first time 6–4, 7–5. In the second round, he toughed out a 6–2, 4–6, 7–6 victory over Brazilian danger-man Thomaz Bellucci. Then, in the third round, he stunned Tomáš Berdych 7–5, 6–4. In the quarterfinals, after six heartbreaking losses against the Spaniard, he finally defeated Rafael Nadal for the first time in his career 6–4, 4–6, 6–4. It was his second win over a world no. 1 that year, having earlier defeated then-no. 1 Roger Federer at the 2010 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Oddly, he defeated a world no. 1 player on his seventh attempt again. As he stated back in March 2010 after beating Federer, "Seven is my lucky number." For only the second time, he made the semifinals of a Masters 1000 tournament since 2007, but here he could not beat Roger Federer again, as he succumbed to his in-form opponent 4–6, 3–6.

Just before his campaign at the 2010 US Open, he made an appearance at the last pre-US Open tuneup tournament, the 2010 Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. According to the tally of points, Marcos has a chance to win this years 2010 US Open Series if he won this tournament. Appearing as the top seeded player, he beat Igor Andreev for the first time 6–2, 6–4, and then came back from a set down to defeat Juan Ignacio Chela 1–6, 6–3, 6–2, to reach the quarterfinals. However, he lost to the eventual champion, Sergiy Stakhovsky 7–5, 1–6, 6–7, in the quarterfinals.

Arriving at the 2010 US Open, he lost in the first round 3–6, 6–2, 6–1, 4–6, 5–7 to Arnaud Clément.

2011[link]

Baghdatis started the 2011 season by competing in the Brisbane International, losing in the quarterfinal to defending champion and second-seeded American Andy Roddick 2–6, 3–6. Marcos made it to the third round of the Australian Open, before retiring midway through the fourth set against Jürgen Melzer due to a finger injury.

Baghdatis had a very quiet summer on the ATP tour, his most noticeable appearance was at the 2011 Wimbledon championship where he gave Novak Djokovic (the eventual winner) a tough test in the 3rd round. The score was 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, during a point in the match Djokovic was unable to keep his cool on the Centre Court and at the end of losing a long rally repeatedly hit the grass court with his racket. For reasons known only to the people inside the stadium, as the match progressed, Baghdatis received a rapturous support from the home crowd, to the point where they were screaming every point he won. At the conclusion of points he won, the noise was said to exceed that of matches involving Scottish home favourite Andy Murray.

Just before the US Series 2011, Baghdatis teamed up with British coach Miles Maclagan.

Baghdatis found some form in the Kuala Lumpur, were he was runner up to a determined Janko Tipsarevic.

In Tokyo, Baghdatis lost narrowly to Andy Murray 6–7, 6–2, 4–6. After the match Murray commented kindly that, “I think he played very well. At the end of the third set, we were both playing good tennis, but in the first two he was the better player. Marcos is a very, very good player. He might not have played his best tennis so far this year, but he has been close to the Top 10 before. He has a lot of talent, a big serve and has many ways to hurt you on the court."^{[citation needed]}

2012[link]

In the 2012 Australian Open, Baghdatis lost in the 2nd round to Stanislas Wawrinka. During a change over Marcos in a Rock'n Roll manner smashed and broke four of his tennis rackets to vent frustration on how the match was unfolding. Baghdatis was fined $770 by the organization of the Australian Open for this behavior.

Davis Cup[link]

Baghdatis made his Davis Cup debut for the Cyprus Davis Cup team in 2000 as a 14 year old. Upon making his debut Cyprus were competing in the lowest division of Davis Cup competition possible and fell one win shy of being promoted in 2000. In 2001 the Davis Cup week was held in Nicosia, Cyprus and Baghdatis led the team to an undefeated record which resulted in Cyprus' promotion to the Euro/Africa Group III. In 2005 Baghdatis again led the team to an undefeated record and Cyprus was promoted to the Euro/Africa Group II. In 2009 Baghdatis led the team to their best result and fell one match short of advancing to the Euro/Africa Group I, after leading two sets to love in the doubles against Finland, Baghdatis and Photos Kallias could not win the match and would lose the tie 2-3.

Playing style[link]

According to the Guardian, "Baghdatis is a wonderfully ebullient character who radiates immense enjoyment whenever and wherever he plays, and has acquired a loyal throng of fans who roar his every winning point."^[9]

2008 Australian Open controversy[link]

Two days before his third-round match against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt at the 2008 Australian Open, a video posted on YouTube almost a year earlier made headlines in the local media. The video shows the 2008 fifteenth seed at a barbecue hosted by his Greek Australian fans in Melbourne in early 2007. In it, Baghdatis is seen holding a flare chanting, among other things, anti-Turkish slogans such as "Turks out of Cyprus" twice, with the Hellas Fan Club, a group which was later at the centre of a clash with police.^[10][11] A representative of the local Turkish Cypriot community referred to the chant as a "racist attack" and a "straight-forward provocation of our community", and called for the player's expulsion from the tournament and Australia, though no such action was taken.^[12]

Supporters of Baghdatis said he was not calling for Turkish Cypriots to leave Cyprus, but rather an end to Turkey's military occupation since 1974.^[13] In a statement issued through his manager, Baghdatis said he was "supporting the interest of my country Cyprus, while protesting against a situation that is not recognized by the United Nations".^[14]

Major finals[link]

Grand Slam finals[link]

Singles: 1 (0–1)[link]

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	2006	Australian Open	Hard	Roger Federer	7–5, 5–7, 0–6, 2–6

ATP Career Finals[link]

Singles: 11 (4–7)[link]

Outcome	No.	Date	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	30 October 2005	Basel, Switzerland	Carpet (i)	Fernando González	7–6(12–10), 3–6, 5–7, 4–6
Runner-up	2.	29 January 2006	Melbourne, Australia	Hard	Roger Federer	7–5, 5–7, 0–6, 2–6
Winner	1.	17 September 2006	Beijing, China	Hard	Mario Ančić	6–4, 6–0
Winner	2.	4 February 2007	Zagreb, Croatia	Carpet (i)	Ivan Ljubičić	7–6(7–4), 4–6, 6–4
Runner-up	3.	18 February 2007	Marseille, France	Hard (i)	Gilles Simon	4–6, 6–7(3–7)
Runner-up	4.	17 June 2007	Halle, Germany	Grass	Tomáš Berdych	5–7, 4–6
Winner	3.	25 October 2009	Stockholm, Sweden	Hard (i)	Olivier Rochus	6–1, 7–5
Winner	4.	16 January 2010	Sydney, Australia	Hard	Richard Gasquet	6–4, 7–6(7–2)
Runner-up	5.	8 August 2010	Washington, U.S.	Hard	David Nalbandian	2–6, 6–7(4–7)
Runner-up	6.	24 October 2010	Moscow, Russia	Hard (i)	Viktor Troicki	6–3, 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up	7.	2 October 2011	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Hard (i)	Janko Tipsarević	4–6, 5–7

Doubles: 2 (1–1)[link]

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1.	6 January 2008	Chennai, India	Hard	Marc Gicquel	Sanchai Ratiwatana Sonchat Ratiwatana	4–6, 5–7
Winner	1.	5 February 2012	Zagreb, Croatia	Hard (i)	Mikhail Youzhny	Ivan Dodig Mate Pavić	6–2, 6–2

Performance timeline[link]

Singles[link]

This table is current through to the 2012 French Open.

ATP Tour career earnings[link]

* As of April 27, 2009.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marcos Baghdatis

• Marcos Baghdatis's Official website (English) (French) (Greek)
• Marcos Baghdatis at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Marcos Baghdatis at the International Tennis Federation Junior Profile

Maria Sharapova

Country	Russia
Residence	Bradenton, Florida, United States
Born	(1987-04-19) April 19, 1987 (age 25) Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight	59 kilograms (130 lb)[1]
Turned pro	April 19, 2001
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	$ 19,323,417[2]
Singles
Career record	441–109
Career titles	26 WTA, 4 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 1 (August 30, 2005)
Current ranking	No. 2 (May 28, 2012)[3]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	W (2008)
French Open	SF (2007, 2011)
Wimbledon	W (2004)
US Open	W (2006)
Other tournaments
Championships	W (2004)
Doubles
Career record	23–17
Career titles	3 WTA
Highest ranking	41 (January 30, 2012)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2003, 2004)
US Open	2R (2003)
Last updated on: May 28, 2012.

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мария Юрьевна Шарапова [mɐˈrʲijə ˈjurʲjɪvnə ʂɐˈrapəvə] ( listen), US: /ʃɑrəˈpoʊvə/, UK: /ʃærəˈpoʊvə/; born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player and former world no. 1. A United States resident since 1994,^[4] Sharapova has won 26 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open. She has also won the year-end WTA Tour Championships in 2004. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked Sharapova world no. 1 in singles on four separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on August 22, 2005, and last regained the ranking for the fourth time on May 19, 2008. As of May 28, 2012, Sharapova is ranked world no. 2. She has been in six Grand Slam finals with the final record 3–3.

Sharapova made her professional breakthrough in 2004 at age 17, when she defeated two-time defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final for her first Grand Slam singles title. She entered the top 10 of the WTA Rankings with the win. Despite not winning a major in 2005, Sharapova briefly held the no. 1 ranking, and reached three Grand Slam semifinals, losing to the eventual champion each time. She won her second major at the 2006 US Open defeating then-world no. 1 Amélie Mauresmo in the semifinals and world no. 2 Justine Henin in the final.

Sharapova's 2007 season was plagued with a chronic shoulder injury and saw her ranking fall out of the top 5 for the first time in two years. She won her third Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Henin in the quarterfinals and Ana Ivanović in the final. After reclaiming the no. 1 ranking in May 2008, Sharapova's shoulder problems re-surfaced, requiring surgery in October and forcing her out of the game for 10 months. Sharapova returned in May 2009 and was ranked no. 126 in the world due to her extensive lay-off. Since her comeback, Sharapova has won seven singles titles (bringing her career total to 26) and improved her ranking to no. 2 in the world.

Sharapova has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She has been featured in many advertisements, including for Nike, Prince and Canon, and is the face of several fashion houses, most notably Cole Haan. Sharapova was the most searched-for athlete on Yahoo! in 2005 and 2008.^[5][6][7] Since February 2007, she has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme. In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.^[8]

Early life[link]

Maria Sharapova's parents, Yuri and Elena, are from Gomel, Belarus. Concerned about the regional effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, they left their homeland shortly before Sharapova was born.^[9] When Sharapova was two, the family moved to Sochi. There her father befriended Aleksandr Kafelnikov, whose son Yevgeny would go on to win two Grand Slam singles titles and became Russia's first no. 1 world-ranked tennis player. Aleksandr gave Sharapova her first tennis racket at the age of four, whereupon she began practicing regularly with her father at a local park.^[10] She took her first tennis lessons with veteran Russian coach Yuri Yutkin, who was instantly impressed when he saw her play, noting her "exceptional hand-eye coordination."^[11]

At the age of seven, Sharapova attended a tennis clinic in Moscow run by Martina Navratilova, who recommended professional training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, which had previously trained players such as Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and Anna Kournikova.^[10] With money tight, Yuri was forced to borrow the sum that would allow him and his daughter, neither of whom could speak English, to travel to United States, which they finally did in 1994.^[11] Visa restrictions prevented Sharapova's mother from joining them for two years.^[9] Arriving in Florida with savings of US$700,^[11] Sharapova's father took various low-paying jobs, including dish-washing, to fund her lessons until she was old enough to be admitted to the academy. In 1995, she was signed by IMG, who agreed to pay the annual tuition fee of $35,000 for Sharapova to stay at the academy, allowing her to finally enroll at the age of 9.^[10]

Tennis career[link]

2001–03[link]

Sharapova first gained attention on the tennis scene in November 2000, when she won the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the girls' 16 division at the age of just 13.^[12] She was then given a special award, the Rising Star Award, which is awarded only to players of exceptional promise.^[13] She made her professional debut in 2001 on her birthday on April 19, and played her first WTA tournament at the Pacific Life Open in 2002, winning a match before losing to Monica Seles. Due to restrictions on how many professional events she could play, Sharapova went to hone her game in junior tournaments, where she reached the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2002. She was the youngest girl ever to reach the final of the Australian Open junior championship at 14 years and 9 months.^[14]

From 2003, Sharapova played a full season, and made a rapid climb into the top 50 by the end of the year.^[15] She made her debuts at both the Australian Open and the French Open, but failed to win a match in either.^[16] It was not until the grass season that she began to fulfill her promise, beating a top-20 player for the first time and reaching her first semifinal at the WTA level. Then, as a wildcard at Wimbledon, she defeated 11th seed Jelena Dokić to reach the fourth round, where she lost in three sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova.^[16]

By the end of September, Sharapova had already captured her first WTA title at a smaller event, the Japan Open Tennis Championships, before winning her second in her final tournament of the season, the Bell Challenge. To cap off her first full season as a professional, she was awarded the WTA Newcomer of the Year honor.

2004[link]

Sharapova was defeated in the third round of the Australian Open by seventh seed Anastasia Myskina.^[17] The highlight of the remainder of her spring hard-court season was a run to the semifinals at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup, where she ultimately lost to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva.^[17]

Sharapova on her way to winning the 2004 Wimbledon Championships

During the spring clay-court season, Sharapova entered the top 20 on the WTA world rankings as a result of reaching the third round of the Qatar Telecom German Open^[17] and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, both of which were Tier I events.^[17] At the latter event, she defeated a player ranked in the top 10 for the first time with a straight-sets win over world no. 10 and 2004 French Open finalist Elena Dementieva. Later that clay-court season, she went on to make the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the French Open, losing there to Paola Suárez.

Sharapova won the third title of her career at the Wimbledon warm-up DFS Classic, defeating Tatiana Golovin in the final.^[17] Seeded 13th and aged 17 at Wimbledon, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal by defeating Ai Sugiyama. There, she came back from a 6–2, 3–1 deficit to defeat fifth seed and former champion Lindsay Davenport. In the final, Sharapova upset top seed and defending champion Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles title, and become the third youngest woman to win the Wimbledon title, behind only Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis. Sharapova also became the second Russian woman (after Anastasia Myskina had won the year's previous major at Roland Garros) to win a Grand Slam singles title. The victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory",^[18] with other writers commenting on her arrival as a serious challenger to the Williams' dominance at Wimbledon.^[19] She entered the top 10 in the rankings for the first time as a result of the win.^[17]

Following her Wimbledon win, attention and interest in Sharapova in the media greatly increased, a rise in popularity dubbed as "Maria Mania."^[20] However, on court, she was struggling to achieve results, winning just three of six matches in her preparations for the US Open. At the US Open itself, she reached the third round, before being eliminated by Mary Pierce. In order to regain confidence, Sharapova played and won consecutive titles in Asia in the fall, the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships and the Japan Open Tennis Championships.

In October, Sharapova defeated Venus Williams en route to making the final of a Tier I event for the first time at the Zurich Open, losing in the final to Alicia Molik. She then made her debut at the year-ending WTA Tour Championships. There, she won two of her three round-robin matches (including a win over US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova) in order to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated Myskina. In the final, she defeated Serena Williams, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, after trailing 4–0 in the final set.^[17]

World No 1[link]

Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005

Sharapova started the year at the Australian Open, where she defeated fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the second Grand Slam semifinal of her career. Sharapova held match points in the third set of her semifinal match, before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams.^[21] In February, Sharapova won back-to-back tournaments, the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the Qatar Total Open,^[21] allowing her to reach the top 3 in the world rankings for the first time.

In the semifinals of the Tier I Pacific Life Open, Sharapova was defeated by Lindsay Davenport, 0–6, 0–6, the first time she had failed to win a game in a match.^[21][22] The following fortnight, she defeated former world no. 1 players Justine Henin and Venus Williams to reach the final at the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open, where she lost to Kim Clijsters.^[21]

Sharapova made the semifinals of a clay-court tournament for the first time at the Italian Open, where she lost to Patty Schnyder.^[21] Sharapova would have become world no. 1 for the first time had she won the tournament.^[23] Sharapova then reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the second consecutive year, before losing to eventual champion Henin.^[21] On grass, Sharapova won her third title of the year when she successfully defended her title at the DFS Classic, defeating Jelena Janković in the final. As the defending champion at Wimbledon, Sharapova reached the semifinals without dropping a set and losing a service game just once, extending her winning streak on grass to 24 matches. However, she was then beaten by eventual champion Venus Williams.^[21]

A back injury sustained by world no. 1 Davenport at Wimbledon prevented her from playing tournaments during the summer hard-court season, which meant she could not earn new ranking points to replace those that were expiring from the previous year. Sharapova, although also injured for much of this time, had far fewer points to defend, and so she became the first Russian woman to hold the world no. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005.^[24] Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport reclaimed the top ranking after winning the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament.^[24]

As the top seed at the US Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Kim Clijsters, meaning she had lost to the eventual champion in every Grand Slam of the season. However, she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the world no. 1 ranking on September 12, 2005. She retained it for six weeks, but after playing few tournaments while injured, she again relinquished the ranking to Davenport.^[24] To conclude the year, Sharapova failed to defend her title at the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Los Angeles, defeating Davenport in one of her round-robin matches, but ultimately losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Amélie Mauresmo.^[21]

2006[link]

Sharapova celebrating after winning the 2006 US Open

Sharapova started 2006 by losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open in three sets to Henin,^[25] also losing a rematch several weeks later at the Dubai Tennis Championships, having defeated former world no. 1 Martina Hingis and world no. 3 Lindsay Davenport in earlier rounds of the tournament.^[25] Sharapova claimed her first title in nine months at the Tier I tournament in Indian Wells, defeating Hingis in the semifinals and Elena Dementieva in the final.^[25] The following fortnight, she reached the final in Miami before losing to Kuznetsova.^[25]

Missing the entire clay-court season with injury, Sharapova returned for the French Open. There, after saving match points in defeating Mashona Washington in the first round, she was eliminated by Dinara Safina in the fourth round.^[25]

On grass, Sharapova was unsuccessful in her attempt to win in Birmingham for the third consecutive year, losing in the semifinals to Jamea Jackson.^[25] Despite that, she was among the title favorites at Wimbledon, where the eventual champion Mauresmo ended up beating her in the semifinals.^[25]

Sharapova claimed her second title of the year at the Tier I Acura Classic, defeating Clijsters for the first time in the final.^[25] As the third seed at the US Open, Sharapova defeated top seed Mauresmo for the first time in the semifinals, and then followed up by beating second seed Justine Henin^[25] in order to win her second Grand Slam singles title.^[25]

That autumn, Sharapova won titles in back-to-back weeks at the Zurich Open and the Generali Ladies Linz.^[25] By winning all three of her round-robin matches at the WTA Tour Championships, she extended her win streak to 19 matches, before it was snapped in the semifinals by eventual champion Henin.^[25] Sharapova would have finished the season as world no. 1 had she won the event. As it was, she finished ranked world no. 2, her best year-end finish yet.

2007[link]

Sharapova at the 2007 Australian Open

Sharapova was the top seed at the Australian Open due to top-ranked Justine Henin's withdrawal. After being two points away from defeat in the first round against Camille Pin, rallying for a 6–3, 4–6, 9–7 victory, she went on to reach the final of the tournament for the first time, but was routed there by Serena Williams, 1–6, 2–6, ranked world no. 81 at the time.^[26] After reaching the final, Sharapova recaptured the world no. 1 ranking.^[24] She held it for seven weeks, surrendering it back to Henin after failing to defend her title at the Pacific Life Open, instead losing in the fourth round to Vera Zvonareva after struggling with a hamstring injury. The following fortnight, she defeated Venus Williams in the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open, before suffering another defeat, 1–6, 1–6, to Serena Williams.

A shoulder injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay-court season for the second consecutive year, resulting in her only tune-up for the French Open being the Istanbul Cup, where she lost in the semifinals to Aravane Rezaï.^[26] Despite her lack of preparation, she reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career (having saved match points against Patty Schnyder in the fourth round), before losing to Ana Ivanović.^[26]

On grass, Sharapova was runner-up to Jelena Janković at the DFS Classic.^[26] Following that, she experienced her earliest Wimbledon loss since 2003 by losing in the fourth round to eventual champion Venus Williams.^[26]

Sharapova clinched the US Open Series by defending her title at the Acura Classic, her only championship of the year, and reaching the semifinals in Los Angeles.^[24] In her US Open title defense, Sharapova was upset in her third round match to 30th seed Agnieszka Radwańska,^[27] making it her earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 2004 US Open, where she lost in the same round.^[24]

Following the US Open loss, Sharapova did not play again until the Kremlin Cup in October, where she lost her opening match to Victoria Azarenka.^[26] Shortly after this, she fell out of the top 5 in the world rankings for the first time since 2004. She qualified for the eight-woman year-end Sony Ericsson Championships due to a withdrawal by Venus Williams before the start of the tournament.^[24] Despite having not previously won a match in two months, Sharapova topped her round-robin group at the tournament, after winning all three of her matches, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanović, and Daniela Hantuchová. She then defeated Anna Chakvetadze in the semifinals.^[26] In the final, she lost to world no. 1 Henin in a match that lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes. Sharapova reached the top five again to end the year.

===2008=== Shoulder Injury Sharapova was seeded fifth at the Australian Open,^[28] but was not considered a favorite. Nevertheless, she defeated former world no. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the second round, and then world no. 1 Henin in the quarterfinals,^[29] ending the latter's 32-match winning streak.^[30] She proceeded to the finals by defeating Jelena Janković in the semifinals, where she defeated Ana Ivanović to win her third Grand Slam title,^[31] having not dropped a set all tournament.

Sharapova playing at the Pacific Life Open in 2008

After the Australian Open, Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 matches.^[31] This run encompassed two wins in singles rubbers when making her debut for Russia in the Fed Cup^[32] against Israel^[31] and victory at the Tier I Qatar Total Open.^[31] Her winning streak was ended in the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open by Kuznetsova.^[31] In April, Sharapova won the Bausch & Lomb Championships, having survived her longest-ever match, at 3 hours and 26 minutes long, in the third round against Anabel Medina Garrigues.^[33][34] The following week, at the Family Circle Cup, she lost in the quarterfinals to Serena Williams, her fourth consecutive loss to the American.^[35]

In May, Sharapova regained the world no. 1 ranking because of Henin's sudden retirement from professional tennis and request to the WTA that her own ranking be removed immediately.^[36] As the top-seeded player at the French Open^[31] Sharapova was within two points^[37] of being knocked out by Evgeniya Rodina in the first round, before eventually winning.^[38] As a result of losing to eventual finalist Dinara Safina in the fourth round (after serving for the match),^[39] she relinquished her no. 1 ranking.^[40] Her dip in form continued at Wimbledon, where she lost in the second round to world no. 154 Alla Kudryavtseva.^[31] This was her earliest loss ever at Wimbledon, and at any Grand Slam in almost five years.^[41]

Sharapova withdrew from the Rogers Cup tournament in August due to a shoulder injury.^[42][43] An MRI scan revealed that she had been suffering from a rotator cuff tear since April, forcing her out of all tournaments for the rest of the season, including the Beijing Olympics, the US Open, and the WTA Tour Championships. In spite of that, she still finished the year ranked world no. 9.^[44] In October, after a failed attempt to rehabilitate the shoulder, Sharapova had surgery to repair the tear.

2009[link]

Sharapova made the quarterfinals of the French Open, her best Grand Slam performance of 2009

Sharapova did not attempt to defend her Australian Open title, as she continued to recover from surgery.^[45][46] She returned to the sport in March, in the doubles tournament at the BNP Paribas Open, but she and partner Elena Vesnina lost in the first round. After this, Sharapova withdrew from further singles tournaments, resulting in her standing in the world rankings being severely affected. She dropped out of the top 100 for the first time in six years in May, the nadir being world no. 126.

Playing her first singles tournament in nearly ten months, Sharapova made the quarterfinals of the clay-court Warsaw Open in May, losing to finalist Alona Bondarenko. The following week, in the first Grand Slam appearance since her surgery, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, before her run was ended by Dominika Cibulková.

During the summer grass-court season, Sharapova played in Birmingham, losing in the semifinals. Sharapova then played at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships as the 24th seed. She was upset in the second round by Gisela Dulko in three sets.

Sharapova enjoyed considerable success in the summer months, reaching the quarterfinals at the Bank of the West Classic, the semifinals at the LA Women's Tennis Championships, and finishing runner-up at the Rogers Cup to Elena Dementieva. At the 2009 US Open, Sharapova was seeded 29th. She entered her way into the third round defeating Tsvetana Pironkova and Christina McHale all in straight sets. She was stunned in the third round by American teenager Melanie Oudin 3–6, 6–4, 7–5. It was the first time in Sharapova's career that she lost to a teenager at a Grand Slam event. The devastating loss made Sharapova's ranking go down to no. 32.

The final stretch of the season brought Sharapova her first title of the year in Tokyo, after opponent Jelena Janković retired after being down 2–5 to Sharapova in the final. By virtue of that result, she was the recipient of a bye at the China Open, but failed to capitalize on it, losing to Peng Shuai in the third round. She ultimately finished the season at world no. 14, having improved from no. 126 when she starting her comeback from injury.

2010[link]

Sharapova practicing at the Bank of the West Classic in 2010

After playing two exhibition tournaments in Asia, Sharapova officially began her season at the Australian Open, where she was upset in her first-round match against Maria Kirilenko. The loss meant that for the first time since 2003, Sharapova had lost her opening match at a Grand Slam event.^[47] She then rebounded by winning a smaller American event, the Cellular South Cup, her 21st career WTA title and first of the year.^[48]

At the BNP Paribas Open, Sharapova lost in the third round to Zheng Jie, aggravating a bruised bone on her right elbow in the process, which resulted in her eventual withdrawal from the Sony Ericsson Open^[49] and the Family Circle Cup.^[50]

Returning at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, Sharapova lost in the first round to Lucie Šafářová. She continued her French Open preparation at the Internationaux de Strasbourg as a wildcard, advancing to the final, where she beat Kristina Barrois. This was her first title on red clay and 22nd overall title.^[51] At the French Open, Sharapova's brief clay season culminated with a third-round loss to four-time champion Justine Henin.

Sharapova began her preparations for Wimbledon at the AEGON Classic. She advanced to the final for the fourth time, where she lost to Li Na. As the 16th seed at Wimbledon, Sharapova lost in the fourth round to world no. 1 and eventual champion Serena Williams, 6–7, 4–6, despite having three set points in the opening set.^[52] The match was seen as another encouraging performance for Sharapova, with some stating their belief that she was approaching the form that would see her contending for Grand Slams once more,^[53] and Sharapova herself that stating she felt that she was "in a much better spot than I was last year."^[54]

During the US Open Series, Sharapova made two straight finals, losing to Victoria Azarenka at the Bank of the West Classic, and to Kim Clijsters at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open. In the latter match, Sharapova held three match points while leading 5–3 on Clijsters's serve late in the second set, but could not convert them.

At the U.S. Open, Sharapova was the 14th seed. She made it to the fourth round, where she played top seed and 2009 finalist Caroline Wozniacki and lost, 3–6, 4–6.

Sharapova's last two tournaments of the season ended in disappointment. She played in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she was upset in the first round by 39-year-old former world no. 4 Kimiko Date-Krumm.^[55] Her last tournament of the year was the China Open, where she lost in the second round to fellow Russian Elena Vesnina.^[56] Days later, she announced the end of her 2010 season.^[57] She ended the year at number 18 in the world.^[58]

Back to Form[link]

It was announced that Sharapova would bring in Thomas Hogstedt as a coach for the 2011 season, joining Michael Joyce.^[59] On December 5, Sharapova played an exhibition match against world no. 2 Vera Zvonareva in Monterrey, Mexico. She won the match 6–1, 7–5.^[60] It was also announced that Maria would start endorsing the Head YOUTEK IG Instinct Racquet range. This ended her career long use of Prince racquets.

In Sharapova's first ever official Australian Open warm-up tournament at the 2011 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, she was seeded 1st. She lost to the Hungarian veteran and eventual champion Gréta Arn 2–6, 5–7 in the quarterfinals. After the ASB Classic, Sharapova decided to take a hiatus from Joyce's coaching, despite having worked together for a number of years, including during her successful years where she became a multiple Grand Slam champion.^[61]

Sharapova participated in the first Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open, where she was the 14th seed, but lost to Andrea Petkovic, 2–6, 3–6 in the fourth round.^[62]

Sharapova's next appearance was at the 2011 Fed Cup tie against France, which she lost to Virginie Razzano, 3–6, 4–6. She then withdrew from the 2011 Open GDF Suez in Paris because of viral illness.^[63] She also had to pull out of the 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships and 2011 Qatar Ladies Open due to an ear infection.

Sharapova returned to the tour in March by taking part in the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, where she was seeded 16th. She defeated former world No. 1 Dinara Safina, 6–2, 6–0, in the fourth round en route to the semifinal, where she lost to world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, 1–6, 2–6. With this result, Sharapova returned to the top 10 for the first time since February 2009.

At the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Sharapova upset fourth seed Samantha Stosur in the fourth round. She then defeated 26th seed Alexandra Dulgheru 3–6, 7–6⁶, 7–6⁵ in the quarterfinals in a match that lasted 3 hours and 28 minutes, the longest match of her career. In the semifinals, Sharapova took her Australian Open reprisal on Germany's Andrea Petkovic by defeating her 3–6, 6–0, 6–2. In the final, she was defeated by Victoria Azarenka, 1–6, 4–6, despite a late comeback in the second set.

During the clay-court season, Sharapova participated in 2011 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, where she lost to Dominika Cibulková 5–7, 4–6, in the third round and the 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, where she was seeded seventh. She defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals and sixth seed Samantha Stosur, 6–2, 6–4, in the final to take home the title, marking her biggest clay-court victory to date.^[64]

Sharapova at 2011 Roland Garros

At the 2011 French Open, Sharapova was seeded seventh. She defeated French wildcard Caroline Garcia in the second round, despite trailing 3–6, 1–4, before winning the last 11 games of the match. In the quarterfinals, she defeated 15th seed Andrea Petkovic, 6–0, 6–3, marking her first Grand Slam semifinal since her comeback from the career-threatening shoulder injury. She then lost to sixth seed and eventual champion Li Na, 4–6, 5–7, in the semifinals, ending her clay season with a win-loss record of 12–2.^[65] This marks her most successful clay season to date.

At the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, Sharapova had not dropped a set entering the final, before losing to eighth seed Petra Kvitová in straight sets, 3–6, 4–6.^[66] This marked her first final in over three years at a Grand Slam event.

Sharapova started her summer hard court season at the 2011 Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, USA. In a highly anticipated match, Sharapova lost to the eventual champion Serena Williams 1–6, 3–6, in the quarterfinals.^[67] In her next event at 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada, Sharapova lost to Galina Voskoboeva in the third round, marking her 100th career loss.^[68]

Sharapova then contested at the 2011 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the fourth seed, she received a bye into the second round. On the way to her fourth final of the year, she beat Anastasia Rodionova, 6–1, 6–3,^[69] 14th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–2, 6–3,^[70] 10th seed Samantha Stosur, 6–3, 6–2,^[71] and 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva 2–6, 6–3, 6–3.^[72] In the final, she defeated fellow former world no. 1 Jelena Jankovic, 4–6, 7–6, 6–3, in 2 hours and 49 minutes, making it the longest WTA tour final of the year.^[73] She subsequently moved up to world no. 4, her highest ranking since August 2008 and the highest since her comeback from her shoulder injury.^[74]

Sharapova entered the US Open in fine form, where she was seeded third. She beat British up-and-comer Heather Watson, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, and Anastasiya Yakimova, 6–1, 6–1, to reach the third round. She was then upset by Flavia Pennetta, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6. However, because of the fall of Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva in the rankings, Sharapova climbed to world no. 2.^[75]

Sharapova's next tournament was the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan. As second seed, she received a bye into the second round, where she beat Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6–2, 7–5. She then beat 13th seed Julia Goerges 7–6, 7–6, before retiring against Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinal, 3–4, after slipping on the baseline, suffering an ankle injury. This also forced her to withdraw from the 2011 China Open the following week. Sharapova then flew to Istanbul to prepare for the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, her first time qualifying since 2007. During the WTA Tour Championships, Sharapova withdrew during the round-robin stage after defeats against Samantha Stosur, 1–6, 5–7, and Li Na, 6–7, 4–6, due to the ankle injury she had suffered in Tokyo.

Sharapova ended the year as number 4 in the world, her first top-10 finish since 2008 and first top-5 finish since 2007.

2012[link]

Maria Sharapova at 2012 Sony Ericsson Open

Sharapova withdrew from the 2012 Brisbane International because of her ongoing ankle injury.^[76] Her first tournament of the season was the 2012 Australian Open, where she was seeded fourth. Sharapova advanced to the fourth round conceding just five games, defeating Gisela Dulko, Jamie Hampton and the 30th seed Angelique Kerber en route. In the fourth round, Sharapova defeated the fourteenth seed, Sabine Lisicki in three sets, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 to reach her first hardcourt Grand Slam quarterfinal in 4 years. She then defeated compatriot, Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets, 6–2, 6–3 to reach the semifinals. There she defeated the world no. 2 Petra Kvitová, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 to reach her third Australian Open final, and her sixth grand slam singles final overall. She lost to Victoria Azarenka in the final 3–6, 0–6. As a result her ranking improved to world no. 3.

In February, Sharapova aided Russia to a 3–2 victory over Spain during the 2012 Fed Cup quarterfinal with a 6–2, 6–1 win over Silvia Soler-Espinosa.^[77] She then played in Paris, where she lost in the quarterfinal to eventual champion Angelique Kerber 4–6, 4–6. As a result her ranking improved to World No. 2. At Indian Wells, Sharapova faced Gisela Dulko in the first round and won 6–2, 6–0. Sharapova defeated Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci en route to reaching the quarterfinals. After battling for over 3 hours, she defeated compatriot Maria Kirilenko 3–6 7–5 6–2, to set up a semifinal meeting with Ana Ivanovic. Sharapova won the first set 6–4 and advanced to the final after Ivanovic retired due to a hip injury. In the final she played world no. 1 Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of the Australian Open final, but lost again 2–6, 3–6.

Sharapova's next tournament was the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open, where she was seeded 2nd. She received a bye to the second round where she faced Shahar Peer and won in three sets 4–6, 6–3, 6–3. Her next opponent was Sloane Stephens. Sharapova won in straight sets 6–4, 6–2. In the fourth round she won in straight sets, 6–4, 7–6 against countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova and advanced to the quarterfinals where she faced Li Na, whom she beat 6–3, 6–0. Her semifinal opponent was fellow former world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. After an inconsistent first set, Sharapova won the match 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. In the final, Maria lost in straight sets to 5th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 7–5, 6–4. This was her third loss of the year in finals out of four tournaments played so far. Sharapova's next tournament was the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she was seeded second. She had a bye in the first round, and advanced to the third round after Alize Cornet retired in the second set. In the quarterfinal, she defeated No. 5 Samantha Stosur 6–7⁵, 7–6⁵, 7–5 after saving a match point in the second set, and advanced to the final with a 6–4, 7–6³ win over No. 3 Petra Kvitova. She won her first title of the year in Stuttgart after defeating world number one Victoria Azarenka 6–1, 6–4. In doing so, Sharapova defeated three current Grand Slam title holders to win the tournament. It was also her first win against Azarenka in five finals, and the third of such this season.

Sharapova's next tournament was a premier mandatory event, the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open. She eased through the first round in straight sets against Irina-Camelia Begu 6–0, 6–3. In the next round she faced Klara Zakopalova and also won in straight sets with 6–4, 6–3. In the third round Sharapova's opponent Lucie Safarova was unable to compete and with drew from the tournament, earning Sharapova a walkover into the quarter finals. She was then beaten by eventual champion Serena Williams in straight sets 6–1, 6–3.

As the defending champion and number two seed at the Italian Open, Sharapova had a bye in the first round. She battled through the first round against 20 year-old Christina McHale and prevailed 7–5, 7–5. She then faced thirteenth seed Ana Ivanovic and won 7–6⁴, 6–3 in 1 hour 47 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals. Sharapova then defeated former world no. 1 Venus Williams 6–4, 6–3, meaning that Sharapova has reached the quarterfinals or better in all nine tournaments she has played this year. In the semifinals, Sharapova avenged her defeat to Angelique Kerber in Paris earlier in the year by beating her 6–3, 6–4 to advance to the final for the second year in a row. In the final, Maria saved match point for a 2 hour 52 minute, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(5) win over Li Na for her 26th career title.^[78] This marked the fourth time Sharapova had successfully defended a title.

Sharapova's currently in action at the French Open, where she is seeded 2nd. She moved through to the second round by defeating Alexandra Cadantu 6-0, 6-0 in 48 minutes. She defeated Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-1 to reach the third round, where she will face Peng Shuai.

Fed Cup participation[link]

Sharapova playing for the Russian Fed Cup team against Israel in 2008.

Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven, but retains her Russian citizenship, and is therefore eligible to play in the Fed Cup for Russia.^[79] However, the behavior of Sharapova's father during her matches on the WTA Tour, combined with a perceived lack of commitment by her to the Fed Cup, has made her selection for the Russian Fed Cup team cause controversy in the past.

After Sharapova had beaten fellow Russian Anastasia Myskina at the 2004 WTA Tour Championships, Myskina criticized Sharapova's father, saying: "He was just yelling and screaming instructions to her and I thought he just might jump right on the court at one point in the match." At the Fed Cup semi-finals two weeks later, Myskina stated she would stop playing for Russia if Sharapova joined the Russian team the following season: "If she joins our team next season you won't see me there for sure. His behaviour is totally incorrect, simply rude. I don't want to be around people like him." Larisa Neiland, assistant to Russia Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev, added: "Her father's behaviour (at the WTA Tour Championships) was simply outrageous. I just don't see how he could work with the rest of us." However Tarpishchev himself played down the problem, insisting: "I feel that things will calm down soon and we'll have Myskina, Sharapova, Kuznetsova and everyone else playing for Russia."^[80]

Sharapova playing for the Russian Fed Cup team

At the end of 2005, Sharapova stated she was now keen to make her Fed Cup debut^[81] and was set to play against Belgium in April 2006, but withdrew.^[82] She later withdrew from ties against Spain in April 2007^[83] and against the United States in July 2007 because of injuries.^[84] The latter withdrawal led to Russia's captain saying she would be "ineligible for selection" for the Fed Cup final in September.^[85] However, Sharapova attended the final, cheering from the sidelines and acting as a "hitting partner" in practices, resulting in some of her Russian teammates implying that she was attending only to enable her to play at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (rules state that players must have "shown commitment" to Fed Cup in order to play). Svetlana Kuznetsova said, "She said she wanted to be our practice partner but if you can't play how then can you practice?"^[86]

Sharapova finally made her Fed Cup debut in February 2008, in Russia's quarterfinal tie against Israel.^[32] She won both her singles rubbers, against Tzipora Obziler and Shahar Pe'er, helping Russia to a 4–1 victory.^[87] For the semifinals, she was given permission to skip the tie, with Tarpishchev announcing that she will be on the team for the final.^[88] However, the date of the final coincided with the lay-off from her shoulder injury, and thus she did not play.^[89]

In the 2011 first round tie, Maria played Virginie Razzano of France and lost. Maria was supposed to play Alize Cornet, but Sharapova was suffering from a viral illness. So teammate, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova played instead of Sharapova where she would go to help Russia come back from their 0–2 deficit by beating Alize Cornet 3–6 6–3 6–2 and secure the win for Russia against France 3–2. Maria continued to participate in 2012 and helped Russia to a 3–2 win against Spain in the first round tie. Sharapova defeated Silver Soler Espinosa in the first rubber, but was unable o play her second rubber due to illness.

Playing style[link]

Sharapova is an aggressive baseliner, with power, depth, and angles on her forehand and backhand.^[90] She is one of the few players on the WTA who uses the reverse forehand a lot. Instead of using a traditional volley or overhead smash, she often prefers to hit a powerful "swinging" volley when approaching the net or attacking lobs.^[91] Sharapova is thought to have good speed around the court, especially considering her height.^[90] At the beginning of 2008, some observers noted that Sharapova had developed her game, showing improved movement and footwork and the addition of a drop shot and sliced backhand to her repertoire of shots.^[92][93] Despite her powerful game, Sharapova's greatest asset is considered to be her mental toughness and competitive spirit, with Nick Bollettieri stating that she is "tough as nails". Hall-of-famer John McEnroe said of Sharapova, "she's one of the best competitors in the history of the sport."^[94] Sharapova is known for on-court "grunting", which reached a recorded 101 decibels during a match at Wimbledon in 2005.^[95] During her second round match in Birmingham in 2003, Sharapova was asked to tone down the level of her grunt after opponent Nathalie Dechy complained to the umpire, with Sharapova's response saying that her grunting was "a natural instinct."^[96] Monica Seles suggested that grunting is involuntary and a part of tennis.^[97] When questioned by the media about her grunting, Sharapova urged the media to "just watch the match."^[98] Her defensive game has been worked on by her new coach, and this has reflected in her results, making consecutive semi-finals at premier mandatory events on the tour.

Serve[link]

Sharapova at The Championships, Wimbledon in 2009.

Early in her career Sharapova's first and second serves were regarded as powerful,^[90] and she was believed to possess one of the best deliveries on the Tour.^[99] Since the beginning of 2007, however, problems with her shoulder have reduced the effectiveness of her serve.^[99] The shoulder injury not only resulted in her inconsistent first serves, but also her hitting high numbers of double faults.^[100] Two-time US Open singles champion Tracy Austin believes that Sharapova often loses confidence in the rest of her game when she experiences problems with her serve and consequently produces more unforced errors and generally plays more tentatively,^[101] while tennis writer Joel Drucker remarked that her serve was the "catalyst for her entire game", and that her struggles with it left her "unmasked."^[99]