Australian Open 2012 Finals: Sharapova vs. Azarenka Ends Maria's Comeback Trail

Maria Sharapova's loss in the 2012 Australian Open final proves that her comeback trail is over.

Sharapova, currently No. 4 in the world, was hoping to win her first Grand Slam in four years, but she failed. Sharapova had looked good in the tournament, but she fell apart in the final.

Victoria Azarenka dominated her, and Sharapova never really looked good in either of the sets.

With another disappointing performance, it is clear that Sharapova will not ascend to the No. 1 ranking again.

It was her second Grand Slam final in the past six months, and she no-showed once again.

Sharapova has the talent to get to the final, but she is not clutch enough to come through when it matters most. Without that ability, she will not come by any Grand Slams any time soon.

Another reason Sharapova is done is her competition.

Azarenka proved that she can beat Sharapova when it matters most. Despite losing to Sharapova in the semifinals, Petra Kvitova continues to improve, and she shouldn't fall to Sharapova again.

Those two lead the charge to the No. 1 ranking, and Sharapova is very far behind them. With those two at the top, don't expect Sharapova to contend any time soon.

Finally, Sharapova was never that good to begin with.

She never made multiple Grand Slam finals in a calendar year, and she only has three Grand Slam titles to her name. While that is good, that isn't great.

That's essentially what will define Sharapova's career.

Good, not great.

Now, there's nothing wrong with that.

Still, it's the truth.

Sharapova isn't clutch. She has tough competition. And, she's only a good, not great, tennis player.

With all that working against Sharapova, it is clear that her ascendancy to the No. 1 ranking will never happen.