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Serve's up: Sharapova changes motion

After taking a one-week hiatus post Wimbledon, she and her touring coach, Michael Joyce, decided it was time to lessen the strain on her shoulder. So now, Sharapova is no longer dropping her racket head near to the ground in a long loop upward. How she made the change so quickly remains a minor mystery to non-elite athletes, given that she was battling 16 years of bio-mechanics, but she has done it and now appears more secure in cutting loose.

"I'm not a finished product and I'm not just trying to win tournaments now, but trying to win more Grand Slams in the future," she said. "I've been serving really well and with more pace. It's on grass and on hard courts when you really need your serve. I've had great serve over the years, but it can get bigger and better. I'm not getting a consistent 115 mph, but I'm happy if I can get it 25 percent of time."

Sharapova will Swiss Patty Schnyder in the final, who knocked out a frustrated Elena Dementieva 7-6 (4) 6-0.

Sharapova said that two years ago, when she visited a Cleveland doctor to cure a pectoral injury, he told her that he was surprised that she didn't already have shoulder problems, because her joints are so loose. Maybe he jinxed her because in January, her shoulder began to ache and even in practice two weeks ago, she felt a little pain. But in romping through four matches in San Diego, she looks like she's in summer 2006 form, smoking her serves to the corners with a fair amount of spin and whole lot of speed.

"Mike tried serving like I did before and he almost twisted his arm off," Sharapova said. "It doesn't matter how you start you serve, but how you hit it."

TV PUTS HEAT ON CHAKVETADZE
It was too bad that Sharapova and Chakvetadze didn't get to contest the Saturday night match, because if they had, fans would surely have witnessed a better effort from the quick counter puncher, who was exhausted from needing more than two-and-a-half hours to down Venus Williams in a three set quarterfinal on Friday night. As she said, she couldn't move and was cramping in her left leg later in the match. But host broadcaster ESPN wanted Sharapova (or Venus) to play the Saturday day match and Chakvetadze was the victim.

All credit to Sharapova for hitting her spots and calmly going about her business, but Chakvetadze also paid for three straight weeks of tennis, which included doubles in Cincy, Stanford and San Diego. The sixth-ranked Russian should crack the Top 5 soon. But if she wants to be a primetime Slam contender, she had better lay off the doubles a bit, no-ad scoring and super-tiebreakers aside.

Sharapova has not been tested during the tournament, but she wasted three very good young players in the past three rounds - Tatiana Golovin, Sania Mirza and Chakvetadze. That bodes very well for her title possibilities and, should she best Elena Dementieva or Patty Schnyder in the final, it will be her first title since winning Linz last October. She could use the crown, even if it's not a Slam.

"It's seems like a year since I won Grand Slam," she said when asked if it seems like a long time since she's won a title. "As a pro what you really want to do is win the majors. These tournaments are preparation and the matches that you want to get in."

RECAP OF FRENCH OPEN SHOWDOWN
Sharapova will be favored against Schnyder, whom she owns a 5-1 record against and outlasted 3-6, 6-4, 9-7 in the fourth round of Roland Garros in a contest that the Swiss had in her hands. Sharapova did not play great in her remarkable win, but displayed a street fighter's savagery in grabbing the painful victory. Her shoulder hurt, she was sick of playing defense, she was not thrilled that almost no analyst had picked her to down the veteran clay-court lover.

But there was no way in hell that the 20-year-old was going to push during crucial points, like Schnyder did when it counted. Sharapova seemed destined for defeat early on, as the Swiss had her on a string from the back court, mixing hard, topspin forehands with slice and flat backhands. She was dictating the match the way she wanted to, daring Sharapova to run with her and to attempt to strike winners off balance.

But then the Russian smartened up and began to play super aggressive. She couldn't serve a lick, but she could return, and she went after Schnyder's second serve. She still has no transition game and, at best, is a mediocre volleyer, but Sharapova came forward, taking her lumps and shortening points and rushing her opponent.

She then dared the Swiss to match winners with her. The contest was ugly at times, but for the most of the second and third set, Sharapova had it on her terms. But then Patty found her guts, started hammering forehands and found her slice serve out wide and flat one down the tee.

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