QUESTION
You won the last four points on her serve in the tie break. Did it feel good to be back in the middle of things?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
Oh, yeah. You know, that's why I'm here. I love the competition. I love those moments, you know. This is what tennis is all about for me.

QUESTION: Is it possible for you to explain what went wrong for you today?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
Well, I think it started in the second game, you know, when I'm up 40-15, you know, and I give her that game. From then on, you know, when she's serving pretty big and pretty consistent, you know, it was tough to break her.

So, uhm, you know, I think that was a key game in the first set.

And, uhm, you know, I mean, she played some -- she played some good tennis. You know, we don't really have a lot of long rallies. It was just, you know, about, you know, a good serve percentage, which I definitely did not have, you know, which I said was going to be important,...

QUESTION
Your thoughts on the match?

MARIA SHARAPOVA
Yeah, I felt like I played a much better match all around today. Couldn't quite get the serve and return together in the beginning. But overall I was really focused. I did the right things at the right time. I was patient when I had to be patient, played a smart game.

QUESTION
Were you surprised you won in straight sets?

MARIA SHARAPOVA
Uhm, you know, when you're in the moment, you don't really worry about, you know, is it going to be easy or tough. You just try to do the right things.

I mean, I'm definitely glad that I could come up with a two-set win against her, yeah.

QUESTION
Was this the best you played this tournament, would you say?

...

QUESTION: Another match over two hours.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah.

QUESTION: How did you win this one?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
I was just very competitive. Against a girl like that that gets a lot of balls back, it's just a matter of who can be a little bit smarter, who can get an extra ball back, who is a little tougher. I thought I did the job really well today.

QUESTION:
You played the big points better than her.

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
Yeah, I mean overall I thought it was a bit scratchy. I mean, first set I'm down a break. I get back in the groove. The tiebreaker was a bit up and down ...

FIRST QUESTION FOR MARIA
Were you completely happy with your form tonight?

MARIA SHARAPOVA
Yeah, I thought I definitely stepped it up. I had to. I felt like I was a lot looser. I was going for my shots a bit more. I felt like I was a little tentative in my previous matches just tying to find my rhythm.

Today when I came on court, I knew she was going to be, you know, a challenge. I just had to go out there and, uhm, step up to it.

QUESTION
You've had 13 breakpoint opportunities and only converted 3 of them. Is that a little worry? Did she get out of them well?

MARIA SHARAPOVA
Yeah, obviously it's disappointing in a situation where you don't take care of business after five or six. ...