Wimbledon 2011: Will Maria Sharapova Crumble Under Pressure?

Maria Sharapova, the No. 5 seed, is the clear-cut favorite to win the ladies’ draw at Wimbledon. She is attempting to prepare for her quarterfinal duel with No. 24 Dominika Cibulkova, which is set to commence in less than two hours with the weight of the world mounted on her shoulders.

The biggest names from the ladies’ draw failed miserably in the past 24 hours. Long gone are Venus and Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Marion Bartoli.

With some of the most dominant women’s competitors in the history of the sport dropping like flies, many would be led to believe that Sharapova will cruise to the finals and ultimately a Wimbledon championship.

Quite the contrary.

Insurmountable pressure mounts on the shoulders of every man’s sweet dream. The most stunning woman in the sport will be stunned on her way to a Wimbledon championship, which the Russian has not won since 2004.

This year’s tournament started off top-heavy, but manic Monday took a sharp turn that sent the favorites packing. This year is no longer about the name brands we tune in to see, but the unknown looking to enter elite company.

She is looking to complete an amazing comeback to the top of the sport, but she has not been on this grand stage at Wimbledon in half a decade. She would have greatly benefited from being under the radar going up against Wozniacki or one of the Williams sisters, but now, all eyes are on the sweet blond bombshell to run through the rest of this tournament.

On the surface, she appears focused, but we all know deep down in that gorgeous head on her sweet shoulders that doubt is crippling her psyche. She is feeling the blazing heat from the bright lights that serve as a spotlight for her every movement to be seen.

With the lack of pressure, she gutted her opponents and cruised to the quarterfinals. Now, she will have to battle Dominika and, even worse, the public perception of being declared the favorite to win it all if she makes it to the semifinals.