‘She does always come up with great tennis. You have to be able not to just produce your best tennis, but more'
If Albert Einstein was correct and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results then Maria Sharapova must be driving herself crazy every time she steps on court to face Serena Williams.
Serena mauls Sharapova, to face Muguruza in Wimbledon final
After 17 straight defeats, the latest of which ended her Wimbledon campaign at the semi-final stage on Thursday, the Russian still seemed bemused by the concept of shaking up her approach to playing the World No 1.
That is despite taking a paltry three sets in the last 10 years against Williams, the game's dominant force who seems to do everything Sharapova does, only harder and faster.
"Like what?," Sharapova asked when a journalist wondered if she had perhaps considered perhaps drastically changing her tactics.
"As far as drastically, I'm not going to come out and become a serve and volleyer or a chip and charge type of player. No, you're not going to see that from me," the Russian said.
Pressed on what she would do to try to end the incredible streak, she said: "A lot more than I'm doing."
Thursday's 6-2, 6-4 mauling on Centre Court was the latest crash course in defeat the American had dished out since Sharapova beat her at the WTA finals in 2004.
That came shortly after she stunned the American to clinch the Wimbledon title as a teenager earlier that year.
Since then, the pair have developed a long-running rivalry, which has at times spilled into the territory of open animosity.
That frostiness, however, seems to bring the very best out of Williams, who now stands just one match away from holding all four majors at the same time for the second time in her career.
"I always expect her to play the best tennis against myself and a few other elite players," the vanquished Sharapova said.
"She does always come up with great tennis. You have to be able not to just produce your best tennis, but more."
Whatever the game plan was on Thursday, it did not work. The pounding baseline groundstrokes that had seen off all her rivals with the loss of only one set in her previous five matches were suddenly coming back with interest and Sharapova seemed unable, or unwilling, to change the pattern.
She was broken twice in the first set and once in the second while failing to craft a single break point of her own in 79 minutes of combat.
Still she seemed surprised by the outcome. "I expect myself to be a champion of these events," said the Russian, who has reached the Wimbledon final only once since her debut triumph.
"It's disappointing to come out as a loser because I know my level can be there and my level can be at the point of holding these championship trophies. I know that that's what keeps me going forward."
