Maria Sharapova said she is not too disappointed by her loss to Li Na in the French Open semi-finals and will now turn her focus fully on Wimbledon. It was at the grass courts of south-west London where the Russian exploded onto the international scene when she swept aside Serena Williams in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title in 2004 as a precocious 17-year-old.
And with her comeback from two years blighted by injury well and truly underway it is to Wimbledon once again that she looks as she tries to win a fourth Grand Slam title. "I enjoy going to out to the grass from clay," the Russian said. "The whole summer swing of things, the warm-up tournament and Wimbledon and then the summer swing in the US. In Sharapova's favour is the current weakened state of the women's game with Justine Henin retired, the Williams sisters and Kim Clijsters nearing the end of their careers and with the younger generation, led by Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic.