image: Zuma Press

The upset happened when the 70th ranked, Oudin, beat former No. 1, Sharapova, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.  Sharapova appeared to have the edge during the opening set but things quickly changed with Oudin found her rhythm.  When the match was decided, Oudin burst into tears with excitement.

The teen from Georgia is enjoying a great start to the U.S. Open – she eliminated Elena Dementieva (fourth ranked) on Thursday.  Oudin will face Russia’s Nadia Petrova in the fourth-round.

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Oudin Ousts Sharapova at US Open

She had been wearing this awful, ill-fitting dress and I really don’t know what Nike was thinking when they gave that to her.  I would have even refused to wear it, to be honest.  I thought it was hideous and most outlets felt the same way.

image: Zuma Press

Today, at the 2009 U.S. Open, she debuted a new look and I’m so happy!  The black dress was a lot more flattering but, more importantly, it was far less distracting.  I found myself staring incredulously at that old frock instead of watching the match but today I (along with other reporters) was able to pay attention to what was happening on the court.  She looked great and won her first-round match!

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Maria Sharapova Debuts New Dress

image: Zuma Press

Both women were using the event as a warm-up to the U.S. Open which begins next week and I would say that Dementieva should feel very confident after beating Sharapova 6-4, 6-3.  She remained steady and focused as Sharapova lost her composure after serving up error after error.  Dementieva also took down Serena Williams earlier in the week in a similar match.

“It’s great to have so many good matches against so many top-10 players here,” said Dementieva. “I hope it’s going to be good preparation. For sure, this kind of win gives you a lot of confidence, so right now it’s all about recovering and getting ready for New York.”

Regardless of the fact that Sharapova failed to win the title, she should be encouraged by her performance.  She made it to the final and that’s a great step toward returning to top form.  She didn’t seem too unhappy with being the runner-up either:  “I think it was a really great week for me. Playing six matches was great leading up to the U.S. Open. I think this was really good preparation.”

I couldn’t agree more.  I’m hoping Sharapova does well at the U.S. Open but after her performance at the Rogers Cup, I am definitely going to keep my eye on Dementieva.  She is on a hot streak.

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Dementieva Beats Sharapova at Rogers Cup

Williams just couldn’t get it together and grew increasingly frustrated with every error she made.  Meanwhile, Dementieva was the picture of composure, which allowed her to overcome a 5-3 deficit in the first set.  After losing to Williams in the semis at Wimbledon, I wasn’t surprised at all by the Russian’s focus.  “I was really waiting for this match after Wimbledon,” Dementieva said.  “It’s always very interesting to play against Serena, and I was looking for revenge after Wimbledon. I was very positive on the court, and very satisfied with the way I was playing.”

After committing 36 unforced errors, Williams said: “I can’t say I was especially feeling the fire.  Obviously you want to do well, and I always really want to do well. Honestly, I think I could have and should have won, but I didn’t, so . . . it is what it is… I really probably should have won the first set, which probably would have (led to) a different result.  But I didn’t. I started making a lot of errors (on) key shots I should have made.”

In the other semifinal game, Sharapova pulled out a victory against Alisa Kleybanova in a match that took two hours and 37 minutes to complete.  “It’s really exciting . . . it’s success by itself,” said Sharapova. “To go out there (Sunday) and play my sixth match is really an accomplishment. Coming back after not playing for a while is always tough, so I’m really grateful that I have a chance to be in another final in my career.”

Now Sharapova and Dementieva will go head-to-head in the final and if I had to place a bet, I’d wager that Sharapova would take the title.  Out of the 10 times that these ladies have battled, Sharapova has won eight times so the odds are overwhelmingly in her favor.  She seems to know exactly how to approach the situation as well: “She’s a grinder,” Sharapova said of Dementieva. “She makes you hit a lot of balls. You really have to be steady with her, and take your opportunities when you get them . . . and most importantly, go out there and execute what your plan is.”

image: TSN

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All-Russian Final At Rogers Cup in Toronto

The weather caused the match between Sharapova and Vera Zvonareva to be postponed for more than an hour but Sharapova was able to advance to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory over her compatriot.  This marks the first time that Sharapova has made it past the third round at the Rogers Cup so I’m sure she’s pretty excited considering the tough year she’s had.  I’m sure she wants to move away from being ranked 49th as soon as possible.

“I thought it was a step up, definitely,” said Sharapova. “I had to (play) against somebody that I’ve had trouble against in the past who I usually play three sets against. It was good to finish the match in two, but I really had no choice. I had to pick it up… I think this is definitely a great result.  I’ve already played against three great opponents and I’m going to play another opponent tomorrow and you just hope that with each match you can raise your level and play better.”

Meanwhile, Serena Williams battled Alona Bondarenko and things appeared to be going well at first but then Bondarenko rebounded and gave Williams a little trouble.  In the end it didn’t matter since Williams won three straight games and won 6-1, 6-4.

“I was just trying to be perfect and then I just couldn’t get my serve in and got frustrated,” said Williams. “You know, I’ve been practising a lot on my serve, it just hasn’t been well, so I think in any case it can be frustrating.  I get really emotional on the court.  Sometimes I’m really into the game too much, and I’ve just got to (remain calm). I can’t help myself when I do that, I think it’s just something natural and hopefully it helps me. I think towards the end I was able to relax and just calm down and then just try to stay positive more than anything.  I thought that if I could keep up that form, I’m on my way into glory and today I didn’t play as well so hopefully I can get it back.”

The victory might have felt a little like revenge since Alona’s sister, Kateryna Bondarenko, sent Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, packing on Tuesday.

In the quarterfinals, Maria Sharapova will face Agnieszka Radwanska while Serena Williams will take on Lucie Safarova.

image: TSN

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Williams, Sharapova Advance in Toronto

Safina was eliminated by Aravane Rezai after committing 17 double faults.  She lost with a final score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.  The Rogers Cup has been interesting for the top-seeded players this year since Venus Williams was eliminated yesterday by Kateryna Bondarenko but, also, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were both knocked out when they played in Montreal last week (okay, Nadal was a little more predictable considering his knee injury).

The 23-year-old Russian phenom was so angry that she was reduced to tears as she spoke after the match.  “It’s my brain,” she said Safina. “I know exactly what I have to do, but if I’m not using my brain, I’m not doing the things my coach is telling me . . . (I’m) too disappointed with myself.”

Yeah, she was disappointed enough to go down the list of her faults adding “Ball toss disaster. I don’t move my legs, I’m jumping backwards instead of jumping forwards, I’m kicking it too much instead of hitting it more, I drop my head, I don’t hold the left arm.  It’s so much. I know this all, and I’m still so stupid that I’m continuing to do it.”

She was so upset about losing a match for the first time since February that she slammed her racket on the ground and then could barely even acknowledge Rezai when they met at the net after the match.  The 22-year-old from France was sympathetic and understanding and said “I’m very sorry for her because I don’t like a player who’s not confident.  I prefer to beat a player in good shape. I’m a player that feels when I lose, it’s the worst moment in my life.”

Safina plans to rest for a few days before getting ready for the U.S. Open, which begins on August 31, 2009.

Things were much better for Maria Sharapova, however, who has advanced to the third round after eliminating Sybille Bammer.  Even though it wasn’t a great performance, the win is helping to bolster the confidence of Sharapova, who has been steadily improving since taking some more time off to recover from her shoulder injury.  “I’m actually having a competition with myself to see how many errors and double-faults I can make and still win the match in two sets,” Sharapova joked. “The fact that I served that way and still won the match in two sets is certainly going to give me a lot of confidence when my arm is where it needs to be and when my serve gets to where it has to be.”

The following seeded players also advanced to the third round:

• No. 4 Elena Dementieva
• No. 5 Jelena Jankovic
• No. 7 Vera Zvonareva, who downed Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-3

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Dinara Safina Eliminated From Rogers Cup

image: Zuma Press

While I’m sure Sharapova is disappointed about not making it further at Stanford, all of these matches are helping her get her game back as she recovers from a shoulder injury.  She’s really struggled this past year but she seems to be getting stronger and stronger with each appearance.

I hope she does well in Los Angeles because I think the only thing holder her back is a slight lack of confidence since she says that she’s back to being at 100% physically.

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Sharapova Advances at LA Tennis

image: TSN

Sharapova will play in the Bank of West Tournament next week, the Los Angeles Women event the following week and then will head to the U.S. Open on August 31, 2009.

She’s never doubted her ability to bounce back from the injury: “By no means was it easy. Definitely I had ups and downs.  I had days where I had to push myself more than I’ve ever had to mentally than physically.  It all pays off. Obviously, just getting to be able to play tennis again is an achievement in itself. Now it’s about preparing myself, forgetting about what I went through, getting back into the form where I was – and even better.  At 22, you consider you’ve been playing on the Pro Tour that many years, (a comeback’s) definitely not a surprise.  It is a little surprising to see so many girls kind of coming out of the woodwork, and they’re so many years younger than you.  You’re like, ‘Where did the time go? But I enjoy every single year of it. As I get older, I become a much wiser person on the court. I learn a lot in life. A learn a lot from my profession, from what I do. I’m definitely not sad that the years are going by.”

I can only imagine!  It’s incredible to me to see how much a body can change in terms of strength and endurance in just a few years.  Suddenly, you look around and there’s all of these younger people zooming around you and it’s hard to believe that so much time has passed.  Obviously, 22 is very young for most things but when you look at professional sports and the Olympics, the athletes really don’t stay around that often when they reach their mid-twenties and thirties.  Of course, athletes like Dara Torres and Lance Armstrong prove that experience and age can sometimes work to one’s advantage so I’m hoping Sharapova will draw on all of her strengths.

She explained that it doesn’t feel good to stop playing but you “have to keep working on it. You have to keep getting it stronger.”  It’s so true.  How many of us have missed a couple days in our workout routines and find that even in just a day or two, the body has gotten weaker.

She added that she’ll be doing shoulder exercises for the rest of her career but that it’s part of the game.   She’s got a good attitude so I won’t be surprised if we see her take the tennis world by storm once again!

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Sharapova Ready For Comeback

Indeed, Day 3 was unkind to Sharapova who was eliminated by Argentina’s Gisela Dulko 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 on Centre Court in 2 hours, 13 minutes.  I’m sure Sharapova is beyond disappointed and frustrated with her performances recently (she’s lost three of her last five matches) but she was out with a shoulder injury for 10 months.  Maybe she just needs a little more time.

Meanwhile, former Wimbledon champ (2002 and 2003 and was runner-up to Sharapova’s 2004 victory), Serena Williams, sailed to an easy victory after punishing Australia’s Jarmila Groth 6-2, 6-1 in 58 minutes on Court 1 at the All England Club.  At least it was over quickly!

Some of the other results from the third day include Belarussian Victoria Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 victory over Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru.

image: Zuma Press

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Williams Wins, Sharapova Ousted

image: Zuma Press

Sharapova has had a hard time with her most recent title occurring more than a year ago at the 2008 Bausch & Lomb Championships in Florida.

With the semifinals behind her, Li will now go on to face Magdalena Rybarikova in tomorrow’s finals.  Rybarikova advanced by defeating Sania Mirza 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in 1 hour and 34 minutes.

Li is hoping to celebrate her third career title while Rybarikova is hoping to capture her first. The winner will receive $37,000.

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Sharapova Eliminated at Aegon Classic