• WTA

Sharapova shooting for top spot in 2013

ESPN staff
November 30, 2012
Maria Sharapova is looking to gun down Victoria Azarenka © PA Photos
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Maria Sharapova has set her sights on a return to the world No. 1 spot after a promising 2012 season.

The world No. 2 briefly returned to the top of the world rankings after completing a career Grand Slam at the French Open in June.

Having struggled for form after undergoing shoulder surgery at the end of 2008, Sharapova is back to her best and also won an Olympic singles silver medal and reached the final of the WTA Championships in Turkey.

The Russian lost four out of five meetings against world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in 2012, but she is determined to overhaul the Australian Open champion, and then fend off her rivals to stay at the top.

"Obviously the goal is always to shoot for top spot and that's always where you want to be and stay," she said. "It's one thing to reach the No. 1 ranking, another to keep it."

Sharapova is in Milan to play an exhibition tournament alongside fellow former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and Italian duo Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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