Can Maria Sharapova claim her second Wimbledon title in 2013?

The 2013 season is turning out to be another big one for Russia’s Maria Sharapova. Besides the successful launch of her Sugarpova sweets range, the Career Grand Slam holder has been launching a very respectable assault on the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings. She’s already managed to leapfrog Victoria Azarenka, and she’ll have her sights on Serena Williams.

Of course, it was Serena who Sharapova defied in the final when she clinched her sole Wimbledon title back in 2004. Masha really confirmed her status as an elite player that day, cruising to a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over the American. She looked like the WTA’s dominant force when she won the Tour Championships later in the year.

However, things didn’t pan out as expected from that point. In fact, Serena is yet to lose against Sharapova since, and is currently a solid thousand points ahead of her in the rankings. With no points to defend at Roland Garros, Serena’s lead looks set to increase. As for Vika, injury has blighted the Belarusian’s season so far, but she remains unbeaten.

That said, recent form is certainly encouraging for Sharapova. She’s already notched up an Indian Wells title this year and she reached the final in Miami. She also looked red-hot in Melbourne before losing in the semi-finals.

So is Sharapova a genuine contender for the Wimbledon title? At this stage it looks like she is, though she certainly appears to be No. 3 in the pecking order. She reached the final in 2011, and from that we can deduce that the changes that she’s had to make to her serving technique over the years haven’t put her out of contention on the lawns of the All-England Club.

Written by Ian Horne from Wimbledon-Live.com.