Maria Sharapova: What Star Must Do to Redeem Embarrassing Wimbledon 2012 Loss

Maria Sharapova entered Wimbledon looking for her first Centre Court crown since 2004. Coming off of a French Open victory, she was the obvious favorite. 

Instead, Sharapova was sent packing in the fourth round by Sabine Lisicki in straight sets.

Overall it was a miserable showing. Lisicki's powerful serve dominated Sharapova, and she couldn't find any consistency in her own ground strokes. 

Losing this match on an ace just added insult to an already devastating loss. The loss cost her a fifth career Grand Slam victory and possibly her No. 1 world ranking. 

The Summer Olympics are next up for Sharapova. Let's take a look at what she must do to avoid further disappointment.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

First and foremost, she must put this loss behind her. It's a big deal, but it isn't as surprising as many may think.

Lisicki has made the quarterfinals and semifinals in her last two Wimbledon appearances, and this is the third straight time she has eliminated the reigning French Open champion. She has the propensity for upsets and Wimbledon is her venue of choice. 

If every tournament were played on grass, Lisicki would be one of the world's top players. She excels on this surface, and upsets always loom large in Grand Slam action.

Sharapova has to wipe the slate clean with London rapidly approaching. This loss isn't the end of the world, but it would be much worse to follow it with another disappointing showing. 

Control Rallies

Sharapova struggled on her first serve throughout the match, and she also struggled to close out rallies. Whether long or short, Sharapova always seemed to miss the one vital shot. 

In short, she must be more consistent.

Losing rallies hurts your momentum and gives away winnable points. After working hard to extend a rally, it can be damaging to lose the key point.

Lisicki used her serve to move Sharapova all over the court. She's a very powerful player, but Sharapova's a better all-around player. Normally Sharapova would show more of a net presence, but she was content to sit back for most of the match. 

She must be more aggressive in London. The competition isn't going to be any easier, and she will be playing for her country.

Rallies are the key to many matches, and that held true today. Lisicki always seemed to have the "big" shot in her back pocket, and Sharapova seemed to be a step behind.