QUESTION: That was a pretty good fight out there, wasn't it?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it was definitely not easy. You know, we were breaking each other's serves left and right out there. I mean, it was a miracle when someone held serve.

I was having trouble with the direction of the wind. It was going in one direction the whole match. W...

QUESTION: You had a bit of a problem in the second set, didn't you?


MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, played a really good, solid first set. Then all of a sudden I got a blister on my foot and the taping made it worse, and I started thinking about it and kind of my mind shut down for a little bit.

It's really weird. I've never gotten bliste...

QUESTION: Did you have any time to feel any pain today?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, no. I actually felt pretty good. I'm really happy about it because that's one of the first times I played a match without feeling anything. You know, I don't expect it to be that like for the whole tournament. So I'm very happy I got through that one without any pa...

QUESTION:
No. 1, do you remember what Richard III said about wearing the crown?


MARIA SHARAPOVA:
No, not quite (laughing).



QUESTION:
I'll let you research that one. Now you're wearing a big No. 1 (inaudible).


MARIA SHARAPOVA:
No, I don't really think aiming wise, there's a big diffe...

QUESTION:
A bit different to your first two matches out there today?



MARIA SHARAPOVA:
Yeah, a lot tougher I think. The score doesn't say much about the match. It was a lot tougher than it seemed. Even though I was up in the first set, thought that she was able, you know, to come up with some good shots and put me in difficult...