Sharapova rues missed chances

Maria Sharapova refused to make excuses after her shock first round defeat to compatriot Maria Kirilenko.

“I just didn't win the match. You know, bottom line,” said Sharapova. “I certainly had my chances and just didn't execute. You know, I felt like, when she was up and then I'd get back there, back in the game, I just didn't take advantage of that and let her control the situation again.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion knew going into the match that Kirilenko was a classy performer. The two are also friends off the court.

“When we go on the court we don't really think about that,” she said.

“We just go out and we try to play our game, you know. No matter how well you know someone or not, it's a new day and a new match, and you just try to go out there and perform. She's not really the type of player that makes you feel that good, but there are many of those types of players. She changes the pace a lot. Uhm, you know, she just has a little bit of a different type of game. Today she was just able to execute many things really well.”

Sharapova missed last year’s Australian Open while she recovered from shoulder surgery and did not return to the women’s tour until May last year, but she denied that her injury lay-off and the resulting comparative loss of form had robbed her of some of her self-belief.

“I wouldn't say it's 'belief.' I think 'belief' is either something you have or you don't have. Whether it's just a little bit of, uhm, maybe confidence ... Obviously it's the first tournament of the year and, you know, I just came up against somebody that just played really good tennis. I mean, I could be disappointed or I could just take it as it is and just go back on the court and just keep working. I choose option two. It’s a bad day and you have to get on with your life. You know, there are many worse situations in life. There are people that don't even know what a tennis match is in the world.”

The blow of defeat was cushioned for Sharapova by the fact that she will not lose any ranking points, despite her early exit from the first major of the season. The WTA rankings are based on a rolling 12-month system, and since Sharapova was not in Melbourne to earn points this time last year, she had no points to defend this time around. That may have explained why she was able to take the loss to Kirilenko with equanimity.

“That's just the way it goes. You know, it’s just a bad day,” she said.

“A bad day's not going to stop me from doing what I love. I'm still going go back on the court and work hard and perform. I'll be back here on a Saturday of the second week, so you'll watch.”