The 2008 Australian Open champion has shown she can get on a serious roll Down Under. Unfortunately, she’ll be starting from a standing position this year. Her strong 2011 petered out with an upset loss at the U.S. Open, and a cranky ankle forced her to retire in Istanbul and withdrawal from a Melbourne tune-up in Brisbane late last month. While she nearly put it all together in Paris and at Wimbledon last year, there was a sense that it’s only to get more difficult for her to win with willpower, rather than a reliable serve.
Why She’ll Win: No one fights like Sharapova, and she’s fought her way to the title here before.
Why She Won’t: All the battling in the world hasn’t helped her overcome her shaky serve, and she hasn’t won a major in three years.
Bottom Line: Sharapova always gives herself a shot because she doesn’t give up, but her career is looking more and more like a battle that’s going uphill.
More Previews:
- Kim Clijsters
- Juan Martin del Potro
- Petra Kvitova
- Novak Djokovic
- Maria Sharapova
- Roger Federer
- Samantha Stosur
- Andy Murray
- Serena Williams
- Rafael Nadal
- Caroline Wozniacki