NEW YORK(AP) Three years ago, Maria Sharapova lifted the U.S. Open trophy over her head.
Now she's working to master the overhead motion of her serve, once the potent start of her attack in Grand Slam tournaments.
Sharapova underwent arthroscopic surgery at a New York hospital to repair a fraying rotator cuff in her right shoulder nearly a year ago. She returned to the U.S. Open this week with a tweaked serve that features a shortened backswing, lower toss and an Andy Roddick-like elbow bend that's closer to her body.
It seems to be working. After a slew of double-faults since her return to the WTA Tour in May after nearly 10 months on the sideline, she had just seven double-faults in a 6-2, 6-1 win over 17-year-old Christina McHale on Thursday night. She had four double-faults in her first-round match, and her fastest serves ranged around 107 mph.
She'll play another 17-year-old, Melanie Oudin, in the third round Saturday.
I'm just trying to do something that's easier on my arm,'' Sharapova said after her opening win.My joints are pretty loose. By the time I would get to the hitting position ... my rotator cuff would be out of place.
``With a shorter motion, it doesn't have so much room to move around. It's a little bit more stable in its socket.''
It's not uncommon for tennis players to develop tendinitis of the rotator cuff, a fraying of the under surface. Athletes who put their arms in extreme overhead positions - tennis players and pitchers - can develop problems.
It's a catch 22 - athletes often have a rubber arm, which can rotate and twist on the rotator cuff,'' said Dr. Andrew Pearle, an orthopedic surgeon in New York.Somebody with loose joints can hyper-rotate their socket. It really twists the rotator cuff, like taking a towel and wringing out the water.''
Tommy Haas knows something about the recovery period from shoulder surgery. The No. 21-ranked player from Germany has had two surgeries.
Even when the doctor says you might be playing in five, six months, it might not be the case,'' Haas said.Or your shoulder should be strong in six, seven months - it might be a year; it might be faster. Everybody responds differently.''
Sharapova, a three-time major champion, has struggled to regain her dominance. Now ranked No. 31, she leads the WTA tour with an average of 8.14 double-faults per match. She had 16 double-faults in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 semifinal loss at the L.A. Women's Tennis Championships last month.
Her attitude is so good,'' Billie Jean King said Wednesday.She had 16 double-faults. Most players would just blow a gasket. She just kept her head down and said 'be patient.'
``I think she's incredibly patient, stubborn and persistent.''
The former No. 1 player reached her first final since her return at the Rogers Cup last month, losing to Elena Dementieva. Sharapova's success will hinge on how quickly she regains a consistent serve, which used to be her strength.
``I watched her win three majors, and each time she won, she was the best server in the game,'' said TV commentator Mary Carillo.
Sharapova won the 2004 Wimbledon crown at age 17 with solid serving. She captured the 2006 U.S. Open title, winning 76 percent of her first service points. She was most dominate in her victory at the 2008 Australian Open.
The 22-year-old Sharapova is still making adjustments to her serve, trying to find the rhythm and consistency necessary for success. She does the daily shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises necessary to stay competitive.
Especially my arms, when I would play really long matches, that was the last thing that would either bother me or get sore,'' Sharapova said.So that's kind of a little bit of a new stage for me, kind of dealing with that, and really being smart on the practice court as well.
``It's a compromise. It's something that's definitely new in my career, but that's OK.''
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AP Sports Writer Rachel Cohen contributed to this report.