Wimbledon 2011 Results: Is Maria Sharapova Ready to Make Wimbledon History?

Maria Sharapova is finally set to return to the Wimbledon final after an historic seven-year hiatus. The 24-year-old woman of most men’s sweet dreams has battled injury and the hardship of being deemed more of a beauty queen than a tennis star during her tumultuous career.

The blond bombshell has been more focused and determined in this year’s Wimbledon than past performances, but the question remains heading into her duel with Petra Kvitova: Is she truly ready to make history?

She stumbled mightily against Sabine Lisicki, this year’s aspiring Cinderella story, but regained her composure during the match and shattered the 21-year-old’s hope and dreams.

Now, she will have to topple another 21-year-old—one who is far superior in all facets of the game than the previous.

Kvitova is extremely confident in her abilities heading into the final, perhaps even more than Sharapova is of hers.

Via ESPN.com:

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Kvitova took the initiative, accumulating a 40-9 edge in winners. Her serve helped her get through some important moments: She hit three aces in the last game of the first set, and she dug out of a 15-40 hole while serving in the final set's fifth game, ending it with another ace.

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She will prove to be Sharapova’s greatest test in this year’s tournament and the final is the worst time to meet such an opponent. Maria may not be a Cinderella story, but she is in her own way. She is battling immense demons and pressure as she hopes to inch closer to the throne atop women’s tennis.

At this point, everyone expects the seasoned veteran to win at Wimbledon, and these expectations effectively destroyed her career in recent years. She is trying to regain the respect the public lost for her in wake of her repeated failures and extreme disappointments.

We saw Roger Federer crumble under this same pressure in the gentlemen’s draw, as he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Federer was attempting to tie Pete Sampras’ seven Wimbledon championships, but at least he has the proven success to hang his hat on.

Sharapova simply does not.

Her fall from grace destroyed her confidence and could haunt her heading into the Wimbledon final against Kvitova. We all have to wonder if another loss will destroy her career at the age of 24 considering she was able to avoid Caroline Wozniacki, Venus and Serena Williams.

Expectations are difficult to fulfill. In order to make history at Wimbledon and retake control of her once promising career, Sharapova will have to once again overcome the pressure of being expected to win.