Can we trust Maria Sharapova again? Even after the Russian reached the semis of Indian Wells and the Miami final, many tennis-heads felt her performances were too spotty and her losses too one-sided to deem her a serious threat at a Slam. Well, she's now followed those runs with a title run in Rome, beating last year's French Open finalist, Sam Stosur, 6-2, 6-4, in a fairly one-sided final.
It was as lopsided as it gets early on: Sharapova won the first four games and 14 of the opening 15 points, seemingly trying to recoup the time lost by a three-hour rain delay. Her shots were crisp and accurate, while Stosur did her part by spewing unforced errors, 14 in all in the first set. Sharapova also returned with vigor, breaking Stosur three times in a 31-minute, 6-2 first set rout. One more positive from 'Pova: her movement. She looked very comfortable on the clay, getting to Stosur's shots on both sides and replying with her customary scream/screaming shot. There was a lot to like if you're hoping that Sharapova someday completes her Grand Slam collection with a win on the terre battue.
There was more to like in the second set, but not everything. Sharapova was immediately broken after she broke Stosur in the first game, and lost a 40-0 lead when serving at 3-2. She would eventually hold—after an atrocious double-fault that must have sailed two or three feet wide—but these lapses are reminders that no matter how good Sharapova looks, it's wise to proceed with caution.
But I'm not saying you shouldn't proceed at all, if you're sold. Indeed, when the pressure was at its highest—and really, the only pressure she faced today was self-imposed—the three-time Grand Slam champion came through. Serving for the match, Sharapova fell behind 0-15; the moment where the match could swing from a comfortable victory to a dogged battle had arrived. On a point largely dictated by Stosur, Sharapova countered with her biggest weapon—her forehand—unleashing a running, cross-court winner that negated the possible 0-30 deficit. It was Sharapova at her finest, which we saw many times today.
Back to the original question: Can we trust her? The nerves on serve remain, and she did benefit from a Victoria Azarenka retirement to reach the final four. But once there, Sharapova took down two of the French Open favorites—Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki, both in straight sets—to earn the title. I'll leave the answer to you. But I'll say this: If we can't trust Sharapova in the current WTA landscape, who can we?
—Ed McGrogan