Stuttgart. Maria Sharapova’s first appearance at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix lasted just 50 minutes. The world number two’s opponent, Alize Cornet was forced to retire with a shoulder injury with the score at 6-3, 1-0 in the Russian’s favour. After her quick opening win Maria Sharapova talked about . . .
. . . her opponent’s retirement: “One should never underestimate the stress tennis puts on the body. It was Alize’s fifth match in five days. Tennis is very tough on the body.”
. . . the time it takes to get used to clay: “It’s not a question of the time it takes, but a question of how many matches one plays on clay. Practicing helps but matches are always a bit different. You have to get used to the different match situations and opponents with different styles. I have to work on my patience too as one always has to play an extra ball.”
. . . her motivation for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: “It’s good to add an extra tournament to my clay court schedule. As I heard that the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was a good tournament then I thought it would be nice to come to Stutt-gart."
