2015 Maria Sharapova tennis season
| Name | Maria Yuryevna Sharapova |
|---|---|
| Country |
 Russia |
| Calendar prize money | $1,645,525 |
| Singles | |
| Season record | 17–4 (80.95%) |
| Calendar titles | 1 |
| Current ranking | No. 2 |
| Ranking change from previous year |
 No change |
| Grand Slam results | |
| Australian Open | F |
| French Open | N/A |
| Wimbledon | N/A |
| US Open | N/A |
| Last updated on: 26 Feb 2015. | |
The 2015 Maria Sharapova tennis season officially began on 4 January 2015 with the start of the 2015 WTA Tour. Sharapova entered the season ranked as world number 2 behind Serena Williams following the completion of the 2014 season. Sharapova is the reigning champion at the French Open, as well as holding titles in Stuttgart, Madrid and Beijing.
Year in detail
Early hard court season and Australian Open
Brisbane International
For the second consecutive year, Sharapova began her season at the Brisbane International, a Premier level tournament on the WTA Tour. As the top seed, Sharapova was given a bye in the first round. Her first match of the 2015 season came against qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova, with Sharapova winning the first nine games on her way to a 6–0, 6–1 victory. [1] Sharapova's quarterfinal match pitted her against number one Spaniard Carla Suárez Navarro, with the Russian winning comfortably in straight sets with a 6–1, 6–3 scoreline. [2] She then repeated her quarterfinal scoreline in her semifinal match, beating Elina Svitolina to advance to her first final of 2015. [3] In the final, Sharapova faced world number 7 and second seed Ana Ivanovic. Sharapova took an early break, but failed to convert two set points and eventually lost the tie-break to Ivanovic. She then rebounded to claim the second set 6–3, and took a commanding 3–0 lead in the final set, only to be pegged back by Ivanovic. In the end however, Sharapova broke again to take a 5-3 lead and served the match out to claim her 34th WTA Tour title, and first in Brisbane.[4]
Australian Open
Sharapova's next tournament was the first major of the year, the Australian Open. She was seeded second in the draw, defending fourth round points after losing in 2014 to Dominika Cibulková. In the first round, Sharapova drew Croatian qualifier Petra Martić and won in straight sets.[5] In the second round, Sharapova beat qualifier and fellow countrywoman Alexandra Panova in three sets, despite being down two breaks and saving two match points in the final set.[6] Following her close call with elimination, Sharapova rebounded to win her next two matches in straight sets - 6–1, 6–1 over 31st seed Zarina Diyas[7] and 6–3, 6–0 over 21st seed Peng Shuai.[8] In the quarterfinals, Sharapova continued her strong form by seeing off world number 7 Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets. [9] Playing in her third Australian Open semifinal in four years, Sharapova made short work of her compatriot and 10th seed Ekaterina Makarova 6–3, 6–2, [10] setting up a final with world number one Serena Williams. The final was a tight contest between the top 2 players in the world, but Sharapova failed to recover from being broken in the opening game, and lost the first set 6–3. Sharapova stepped up her play in the second set, and saved two match points to force a tie-break, but in the end, Williams closed the match with an ace, sealing a 6–3, 7–6 victory. [11] The defeat was Sharapova's third in a Grand Slam final to Williams, and the first of her 2015 season.
Fed Cup World Group – Quarterfinals
One week following her disappointment in the Australian Open final, Sharapova returned to play at the Fed Cup, being selected as part of the Russia team in their quarterfinal tie with Poland in Kraków. It was the first time Sharapova had participated in a Fed Cup tie since Russia's 2012 victory over Spain. Following Svetlana Kuznetsova's first rubber victory, [12] Sharapova played the second rubber against Urszula Radwańska and made short work of her opponent, winning 6–0, 6–3, to give Russia a 2–0 advantage. [13] The following day, Sharapova returned to play the third rubber against Urszula's sister Agnieszka Radwańska, and defeated the world #8 in straight sets, sealing victory for the Russian team.
Abierto Mexicano Telcel
Sharapova's next activity came at the tournament in Acapulco. It was the first time she had competed in an International tournament since losing to Gréta Arn at the Auckland event in early 2011. Sharapova entered the draw as top seed, and faced American Shelby Rogers in the first round, winning in straight sets. Next, she faced lucky loser Mariana Duque Mariño and won 6–1, 6–2 in 68 minutes. [14] In the quarterfinals, Sharapova faced Magdaléna Rybáriková for the first time. She won in three sets, despite strugling with a stomach virus. [15] Sharapova was expected to face Caroline Garcia in the semifinals, but withdrew on the morning of the match due to the virus, giving Garcia a walkover into the final.
BNP Paribas Open
Sharapova returned to action in March, competing in Indian Wells. She was seeded second, only defending third rounds after a surprise loss to Camila Giorgi in 2014. After receiving a bye in the first round, Sharapova faced Yanina Wickmayer and won in straight sets. [16] In the third round, she faced former world #1 Victoria Azarenka for the first time since the 2013 French Open. After two close sets and five missed match points, Sharapova prevailed 6–4, 6–3,[17] tying her career record against Azarenka to seven wins each. [18] She failed to progress deeper into the tournament when she lost to defending champion Flavia Pennetta in the fourth round in three sets.
Miami Open
Sharapova's next tournament was in Miami. She was seeded second, defending semifinalist points after losing to eventual champion Serena Williams in 2014. After receiving a bye in the first round, Sharapova faced Daria Gavrilova and lost in straight sets. This marked the first time that Sharapova did not make it to the third round since her first appearance at the tournament back in 2003.
European clay court season and French Open
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Sharapova was the defending champion and was seeded first. After receiving a first round bye, she lost in the second round to Angelique Kerber in three sets, snapping Sharapova's win streak at the tournament and marking her first ever loss at the tournament having won it three times in a row (2012, 2013, & 2014). The loss also snapped a 64 match win streak on clay where Sharapova won the first set and went on to win the match. The last time Sharapova lost a match on clay after winning the first set was against Dinara Safina in the fourth round at the 2008 French Open.
All matches
| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponent | Rank | Result | Score | |
| Brisbane International Brisbane, Australia WTA Premier Hard, outdoor 4 January – 10 January 2015 |
- | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 1 | 2R |  Yaroslava Shvedova |
#66 | Win | 6–0, 6–1 | ||
| 2 | QF |  Carla Suárez Navarro |
#17 | Win | 6–1, 6–3 | ||
| 3 | SF |  Elina Svitolina |
#28 | Win | 6–1, 6–3 | ||
| 4 | F |  Ana Ivanovic |
#7 | Win (1) | 6–7 (4–7), 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam Hard, outdoor 19 January – 1 February 2015 |
5 | 1R |  Petra Martić |
#184 | Win | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 6 | 2R | Alexandra Panova |
#150 | Win | 6–1, 4–6, 7–5 | ||
| 7 | 3R | Zarina Diyas |
#31 | Win | 6–1, 6–1 | ||
| 8 | 4R |  Peng Shuai |
#21 | Win | 6–3, 6–0 | ||
| 9 | QF |  Eugenie Bouchard |
#7 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 | ||
| 10 | SF | Ekaterina Makarova |
#11 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 | ||
| 11 | F |  Serena Williams |
#1 | Loss (1) | 3–6, 6–7 (5–7) | ||
| Fed Cup WG: Russia vs. Poland Kraków, Poland Fed Cup Hard, indoor 7 February – 8 February 2015 |
12 | – |  Urszula Radwańska |
#135 | Win | 6–0, 6–3 | |
| 13 | – | Agnieszka Radwańska |
#8 | Win | 6–1, 7–5 | ||
| Abierto Mexicano Telcel Acapulco, Mexico WTA International Hard, outdoor 23 February – 1 March 2015 |
14 | 1R | Shelby Rogers |
#80 | Win | 6–4, 6–1 | |
| 15 | 2R |  Mariana Duque Mariño |
#139 | Win | 6–1, 6–2 | ||
| 16 | QF |  Magdaléna Rybáriková |
#50 | Win | 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 | ||
| - | SF |  Caroline Garcia |
#30 | Withdrew | Walkover | ||
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States WTA Premier Mandatory Hard, outdoor 9–22 March 2015 |
- | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 17 | 2R | .svg.png){kind=small} Yanina Wickmayer |
#93 | Win | 6–1, 7–5 | ||
| 18 | 3R |  Victoria Azarenka |
#38 | Win | 6–4, 6–3 | ||
| 19 | 4R |  Flavia Pennetta |
#16 | Loss | 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 | ||
| Miami Open Miami, United States WTA Premier Mandatory Hard, outdoor 24 March – 4 April 2015 |
- | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 20 | 2R | Daria Gavrilova |
#97 | Loss | 6–7(4–7), 3–6 | ||
| Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart, Germany WTA Premier Clay, indoor 20 April – 26 April 2015 |
- | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 21 | 2R |  Angelique Kerber |
#14 | Loss | 6–2, 5–7, 1–6 | ||
| Mutua Madrid Open Madrid, Spain WTA Premier Mandatory Clay, outdoor 1–10 May 2015 |
22 | 1R |  Timea Bacsinszky |
#21 | |||
Tournament schedule
Singles schedule
Sharapova's 2015 singles tournament schedule is as follows:
| Date | Championship | Location | Category | Surface | Points | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 January – 10 January | Brisbane International |  Brisbane | WTA Premier | Hard | 470 | Winner defeated A Ivanovic, 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 6–3 |
| 19 January – 1 February | Australian Open | Melbourne | Grand Slam | Hard | 1300 | Runner-up lost to S Williams, 3–6, 6–7 (5–7) |
| 7 February – 8 February | Fed Cup WG: Russia vs. Poland | Kraków | Fed Cup | Hard (i) | N/A | Russia def. Poland, 4–0 Russia advanced to Semifinals vs. Germany |
| 24 February – 1 March | Mexican Open |  Acapulco | WTA International | Hard | 110 | Semifinals gave walkover to C Garcia |
| 4 March – 23 March | Indian Wells Masters | Indian Wells | WTA Premier Mandatory | Hard | 120 | Fourth Round lost to F Pennetta, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 |
| 24 March – 5 April | Miami Open | Miami | WTA Premier Mandatory | Hard | 10 | Second Round lost to D Gavrilova, 6–7(4–7), 3–6 |
| 20 April – 26 April | Stuttgart Open | Stuttgart | WTA Premier | Clay (i) | 1 | Second Round lost to A Kerber, 6–2, 5–7, 1–6 |
| 4 May – 10 May | Madrid Open | Madrid | WTA Premier Mandatory | Clay | ||
| 11 May – 17 May | Italian Open | Rome | WTA Premier 5 | Clay | ||
| 25 May – 6 June | French Open | Paris | Grand Slam | Clay | ||
| 29 June – 12 July | Wimbledon |  London | Grand Slam | Grass | ||
| 10 August – 16 August | Canadian Open | Toronto | WTA Premier 5 | Hard | ||
| 17 August – 23 August | Cincinnati Masters | Cincinnati | WTA Premier 5 | Hard | ||
| 31 August – 12 September | US Open | New York | Grand Slam | Hard | ||
| 5 October – 11 October | China Open | Beijing | WTA Premier Mandatory | Hard | ||
| Total year-end points | 2011 | |||||
Yearly records
Head-to-head matchups
Ordered by number of wins
|
|
|
Finals
Singles: 2 (1–1)
|
|
|
| Outcome | No. | Date | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 34. | January 10, 2015 | Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia | Hard | Ana Ivanovic |
6–7 (4–7), 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 23. | January 31, 2015 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia (3) | Hard | Serena Williams |
3–6, 6–7 (5–7) |
Earnings
| # | Event | Prize money | Year-to-date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane International | $195,026 | $195,026 |
| 2 | Australian Open | $1,355,374 | $1,550,400 |
| 3 | Mexican Open | $8,600 | $1,559,000 |
| 4 | BNP Paribas Open | $59,185 | $1,618,185 |
| 5 | Miami Open | $17,100 | $1,635,285 |
| 6 | Stuttgart Open | $10,240 | $1,645,525 |
| 7 | Madrid Open | ||
| $1,645,525 | |||
Figures in United States dollars (USD) unless noted.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12040/9634274/brisbane-international-maria-sharapova-defeats-yaroslava-shvedova-in-straight-sets
- ↑ http://www.foxsports.com/tennis/story/maria-sharapova-beats-carla-suarez-navarro-to-reach-brisbane-international-semifinals-010815
- ↑ https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-ivanovic-advances-brisbane-final-074017588--ten.html
- ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-10/sharapova-wins-brisbane-international/6010662
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2916644/Maria-Sharapova-survives-tough-opening-set-spoil-Petra-Martic-s-birthday.html
- ↑ http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/392447.html
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/23/maria-sharapova-annihilation-zarina-diyas-australian-open.
- ↑ http://www.sportinglife.com/tennis/news/article/553/9660839/australian-open-tennis-second-seed-maria-sharapova-set-up-a-last-eight-clash-with-eugenie-bouchard-after-beating-shuai-peng-6-3-6-0
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/30996141
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/27/australian-open-day-nine-women
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/jan/31/serena-williams-v-maria-sharapova-australian-open-womens-final-live
- ↑ http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/02/russia-takes-1-0-lead-over-poland-in-1st-round-of-fed-cup/53970/
- ↑ http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/02/russia-takes-1-0-lead-over-poland-in-1st-round-of-fed-cup/53970/
- ↑ http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/406919.html
- ↑ http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12040/9734022/maria-sharapova-survives-scare-to-reach-semi-finals-of-acapulco-open
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2995592/Maria-Sharapova-Eugenie-Bouchard-head-round-Indian-Wells.html
- ↑ http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/9763190/maria-sharapova-battles-past-victoria-azarenka-caroline-wozniacki-makes-early-exit
- ↑ http://www.wtatennis.com/head2head/player1/9499/player2/11289
External links
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