Maria Sharapova Hot Pictures: If this year’s U.S. Open women’s tournament has no hands-down favorite, Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova at least qualify as frontrunners. Clijsters did her part Monday afternoon with a straight-sets win. Williams, who hadn’t played a match since Wimbledon, defeated Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-1, though she looked a little shaky in the first set. Sharapova gets her turn Tuesday afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It’s something of a surprise that Sharapova isn’t in a class all her own by now. When she won Wimbledon at age 17, in 2004, she seemed destined for greatness. Since then, she’s been merely good, at times very good, and twice good enough to win Grand Slam titles. But a consistent killer she isn’t, at least not in the mold of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles or Serena Williams. In the last few years, she has struggled with injuries, most notably to her shoulder, which was surgically repaired in 2008.
This tournament is the perfect place for Sharapova to make another move. Serena Williams and Justine Henin aren’t here, and there’s no one else in the draw who can match her competitive zeal.
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