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Maria Sharapova had surgery in October on her right shoulder, which forced her off the tour for most of the year. She wondered when she would return to a Grand Slam tournament. The Russian was back on the court last month, and she struggled in the opening round at Wimbledon before advancing to the second round. Sharapova lost four consecutive games and was broken five times before she regained her composure. The 2004 Wimbledon champion did enough to secure a victory over Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine 7-5, 6-4. The tennis star said she’s happy to be at Wimbledon. In 2009, some women have already played 35 or 45 singles matches, but Sharapova has only played 14 (11-3) matches. Get Tennis tickets and see Sharapova serve.

The tennis pro started her season at a clay-court event in Poland in May. Her next tournament was the French Open, where she reached the semifinals at a grass-court event. When reporters asked the Russian what were her chances of winning a second Wimbledon championship, Sharapova avoided the question since she knew she was still rusty. That was apparent when the Russian had some trouble eliminating Kutuzova. The Ukrainian is ranked 79th and never advanced beyond the second round at a major tournament. Sharapova trailed 4-1, then 5-3, in the first set. She double-faulted five times in that set alone, but managed to battle back in the match and served at 5-3 in the second. Many tennis fans probably never saw a Russian woman toss around an American football to loosen the joint before a match.

That’s exactly what the four time Grand Slam champion did to warm up her shoulders. Sharapova also adjusted her service motion, which she continues to work on throughout the tournament. One reporter asked her how long will it take to get up to speed? The Russian admitted it will take time and wasn’t certain how long everything will come together. She continued to tell the press that’s why she is playing at Wimbledon, to find out how much of her tennis game is back to the way she use to play. What’s the alternative? Staying at home to see when it would return? Kutuzova played well, and Sharapova only had five more points than her opponent, 69-64.

Although the 22-year-old had problems with her footing during the match, she fell on the grass near the baseline once in each set; Sharapova took something positive out of the way she turned the match around. She told reporters she was able to hang in the game. Sharapova added that she was hitting the ball deep and hard, and was able to give Kutuzova a taste of her own medicine. The Russian used to be ranked number one in the world, but after her shoulder injury, she dropped outside the top 100. Since her return, she has climbed back to No. 60, and is currently seeded No. 24 at Wimbledon. One or two victories will not satisfy the tennis star this year at the All England Club. She wants another Wimbledon title.

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