QUESTION
There are so many ways to find out the form. This is one of the ways, just to start a little bit slowly and then to find out, or you have some problems with your forehand or something?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
No. I actually started good. Just in the middle of the match I had a little letdown. Actually not a little, quite big. You know, kind of a similar story to yesterday. I was just lucky to win that second set.
But taking away what she was doing on her side of net, from my point of view I thought there were just a lot of physical roller coaster rides. I'd put two or three good points together and then the level sort of dropped. But it's all right.
You know, good thing is I got a win and, you know, I can play another match tomorrow.

Maria reached the quarter-finals in Rome this afternoon as she defeated Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-4 7-6 in 1 hour and 54 minutes. 

Maria got an early break to lead 2-1 in the 1st set and looked to be heading for a straightforward set until Wozniacki was able to break back and took a 4-3 lead, from there on the set was all Maria as the took the next 3 games to take the set 6-4.

Maria Sharapova will assume the No. 1 ranking in tennis because of Justine Henin's retirement.

The 25-year-old Henin, who retired Wednesday, asked to be removed from the rankings, the WTA Tour said Thursday. Sharapova will automatically become No. 1 when the next rankings are released Monday.

It will mark the fourth time the Russian has held the top ranking. She has been No. 1 for a total of 14 weeks in her career, the last in 2007.

Maria Sharapova reached a compromise with the WTA Tour and completed a promotional photo shoot before the Italian Open began Monday.

The second-ranked Russian was opposed to the shoot because she does not like distractions before tournaments, and claimed the WTA threatened to fine her more than $300,000 if she refused.

Sunday's photo shoot to build publicity for the tour championships was reduced to 90 minutes from several hours, Sharapova said.

Maria Sharapova is criticizing the WTA Tour for threatening to fine her more than $300,000 if she doesn't take part in a promotional photo session ahead of the Italian Open in Rome on May 12.

"They want me to do this shoot on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday of the Internazionali BNL Italia tourney after flying 12 hours from L.A.," the Australian Open champion said in a statement posted on her Web site on Friday.

"I have set my own personal rules when it comes to doing shoots and I never do shoots before tournaments because they are mentally draining and I want to just focus on my tennis."