Sharapova getting used to long season in WTA Tour

Sharapova getting used to long season in WTA Tour

 BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- After years of playing in the WTA tour, Russia's world number two Maria Sharapova has managed to cope with the long season with her experience.

"It's a pretty long season of 10 months of playing tournaments, but I have a normal schedule, I don't play too many events. I try to focus on the ones I feel are important and work my schedule around that," Sharapova, who is playing the China Open here after missing last year's edition, said on Saturday.

The long calendar became the most talked topic at the China Open when world number four Serena Williams has pulled out of the mandatory¹ tournament citing² injuries.

"There is no doubt towards the end of the season you are not as fit as you are in the beginning, maybe don't have much energy. And also we had the addition of the Olympics this year so it was incredibly busy this year."

"I have been on the tour for many years, so I'm quite experienced in knowing how to recover from tournaments and how my body feels and what I need to do in order to prepare," she added.

The 25-year-old Sharapova has also been hit by injuries many times in past years, which even put her career in question, but the Russian said she won't quit.

"I still have so much passion for what I do. I love going out and competing and learning and trying to get better. This career goes on for so many years. It would be stupid not to take advantage of the fact that you really enjoy doing something and you like waking up in the morning and getting better at it."

"I have done it from a very young age, and right now I don't see my life without it. So there is no real reason to even think of retirement³."

Coming up for her in the opening round at the China Open will be Simona Halep of Romania, a player she defeated in the only encounter between them.

"She can play really good. I think she was injured a little bit in the summer. I have to focus on what I have to do, that's pretty much my priority⁴ right now," Sharapova said.

1 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

2 citing   

引用( cite的现在分词 )； 传唤； 记起； [军事]传（或通）令嘉奖

参考例句：

• It's no use citing the Bible to somebody who doesn't believe in God. 对不信上帝的人引用圣经的话是没用的。
• It's no use citing the Bible to a non-Christian. 对非基督徒引用《圣经》是没用的。

3 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

4 priority   

n.优先处理的事，居先，优先（权）

参考例句：

• The development of the national economy is a top priority.发展国民经济是应予以最优先考虑的事。
• Things should be taken up in order of priority.办事应有个先后次序。