Davenport: Sharapova can make it through Wimbledon qualifying but it'll be a challenge

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  • Sharapova (l) and Davenport at Ski Dubai.

    Lindsay Davenport believes Maria Sharapova will be able to advance through the Wimbledon qualifying rounds but that it will be a challenging experience for the Russian former champion.

    Sharapova, who returned from a 15-month doping suspension end of April, was unable to get her ranking high enough to secure a place in the Wimbledon main draw and has opted to contest the qualifying tournament that is staged in Roehampton each year before the action kicks off at the All England Club.

    The Russian, who lifted the trophy at SW19 as a teenager in 2004, will have to win three matches in Roehampton in order to book a spot in the main draw and Davenport, herself a Wimbledon champion in 1999 and former world No1, believes it could be tricky for Sharapova.

    • READ Reem Abulleil’s diary from her visit to Roehampton last year

    Asked if she thinks getting those three matches under her belt would do Sharapova good ahead of Wimbledon, Davenport told reporters at Roland Garros on Monday: “I don’t think so. She definitely needs matches, and she needs matches on grass, but a former champion – I know all the pros and cons, but Wimbledon qualies is not like any of the other Grand Slam qualies. It’s off-site, the courts are not the same.

    “The courts are amazing at Wimbledon and it’s hard to replicate that anywhere, so it’s going to be a bit of a challenge.”

    Davenport currently coaches world No13 Madison Keys, who shares an agent with Sharapova in Max Eisenbud.

    Sharapova’s wildcard request for Roland Garros was rejected by the French Tennis Federation and her decision to play Wimbledon qualifying is probably her way of avoiding another rejection, this time from the All England Club.

    Roehampton is only four miles away from the All England Club but the two venues look and feel like they’re worlds apart. The courts at the Bank of England Sports Ground are not as well-maintained and players in the qualifying tournament often complain of bad bounces and poor conditions.

    The courts are laid out side by side in a wide open field and Wimbledon organisers will have to make several adjustments in order to accommodate more fans this year because of the presence of a superstar like Sharapova.

    Security must be increased and they’ve already announced that the event will be ticketed for the first time, and journalists must require special accreditation for the qualifying rounds. All these are new introductions to what has typically been a laid back, sparsely-attended event.

    “I was joking to her agent last week, we were having a lot of jokes about it. It’s not the same at Roehampton but I think she’s going to be fine though,” added Davenport.

    “I think she’ll get through it. It’s a lot of tennis in a row for her, because she’s also supposed to play Birmingham, then qualies, then to go into the main draw.

    “And I know physically even after playing Stuttgart and then Madrid, her body broke down a little bit, but I think she just wants to play. She’s a champion.

    “I don’t know how I feel about her playing qualies. I’m happy she’s back playing. It’s going to be like Roehampton’s never seen. Everybody who has been out there knows what it’s like. It’ll be interesting. We were all saying we all want to go out there and see exactly what it’s like.”

    Sharapova is currently ranked 178 in the world after winning five of the eight matches she has played so far in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome.

    The Wimbledon qualifying competition will take place from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 June. According to www.wimbledon.com, an allocation of up to 1,000 tickets per day, priced at £5 each, will be for sale online only via Ticketmaster on a first come, first served basis.

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