Maria Sharapova: Defeating leaders on clay means a lot to me

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova said she hadn’t been thinking of herself as a favorite at the WTA tournament in Rome, which she eventually won defeating Caroline Wozniacki and Samantha Stosur on the way.

«I’m so happy to be the champion. It means so much to me to add this title to the ones I already have. Rome is such a special place and I’ve dreamed of holding up this trophy. There are a lot of tournaments coming up, and this is a great start to everything. I can’t wait to be back next year,» said Sharapova sccording to the WTA official website.

«I surely wasn’t the favorite going into a clay court event like this. To beat players who have had great results on clay means a lot to me. I may not be the best mover or best slider on clay, or the strongest player with the strongest legs, but there’s a lot more than that in tennis.»