Sharapova courting more success

Fresh off a whirlwind media tour, Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova is preparing to get back to business on the tennis court.

Sharapova, who has spent more time partying than practising recently, returns to action here on Tuesday at the Acura Classic where she faces American Lilia Osterloh in her first match since her Wimbledon triumph earlier this month.

After the tall blonde's remarkable run to the Wimbledon title, Sharapova has been in heavy demand, appearing on popular U.S. television shows including MTV Total Request Live and the Tonight Show.

While the bubbly Sharapova is revelling in her new-found celebrity, the 17-year-old Russian has lost none of her competitive fire.

"I need to keep winning," she told reporters on Monday. "I knew what it took to win Wimbledon and will try to achieve a lot more.

"Before I could go somewhere so easily without being recognised and then straight after Wimbledon I had paparazzi following me everywhere."

Although Sharapova had won three career titles going into Wimbledon, she did not anticipate having the necessary tools to beat former champions Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams en route to the title.

STERN TEST

Sharapova can expect another stern test against a quality field on the Carlsbad hardcourts.

Serena Williams is the top seed this week followed by France's Amelie Mauresmo, French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and Davenport, fresh from back-to-back title wins at Stanford and Carson.

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"It will be a challenge and I like challenges," Sharapova said. "It's my first tournament since Wimbledon and everyone is expecting me to do well.

"But I didn't have any expectations going into Wimbledon and it worked out well."

While the young Russian is careful not to make herself the favourite for next month's U.S. Open, she does not talk her hopes down.

With the top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne and second-ranked Kim Clijsters off the tour due to illness and injury, and with the Williams sisters struggling, she realises an opportunity does exist.

"I have confidence I can compete with the top players," she said. "But if I go out and it's not my day there's not much I can do.

"Hopefully, it will be my day. For the two weeks at Wimbledon, all the days were my days."

After Carlsbad, Sharapova will take three weeks off to train before playing at New Haven the week before the U.S. Open.

"It's important to make sure my body holds up leading up to the U.S. Open," she said.