It is nearly fourteen years since Maria Sharapova last beat Serena Williams. 2004 - a year in which Michelle McManus, McFly and Peter Andre had all topped the British music charts. A year in which Sharapova pipped Williams to the Wimbledon crown in a stunning SW19 final and promised to dethrone the American as the powerhouse of women's tennis. Fourteen years and eighteen defeats later, Williams is still lauding it over her old rival.
In her book released last year, Sharapova claims Williams raises her game against her because of that famous victory in the Wimbledon final of 2004. "...to me, the real answer was there, in this locker room, where I was changing and she was bawling. I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon.”
This week there had been the promise of a first meeting on court since the book was published as the pair were drawn to meet in the French Open at Roland Garros but a chest injury forced Williams to withdraw on the morning of the last-sixteen match, gifting Sharapova a route to her first Grand Slam quarter-final since the 2016 Australian Open. It was in Melbourne where the Russian failed a drugs test after testing positive for the banned substance melodonium, which led to a two-year - later reduced to fifteen months - from the sport.
Since returning, Sharapova has claimed a first WTA title since 2015 with victory at the Tianjin Open in China last year before showing glimpses of recapturing her very best form on clay in recent weeks, reaching the last-eight in Madrid before a semi-final appearance in Rome.
Will be a big miss
The withdrawal of her nemesis Williams, who was appearing at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the birth of her daughter Alexis in September, has opened the door for Sharapova to claim a third French Open crown. The Russian, a marmite figure on the WTA Tour, next meets the 2016 Roland Garros winner, Garbine Muguruza - Sharapova leads their head-to-head meetings 3-0.
From there, a semi-final against Simona Halep or Angelique Kerber awaits. Halep has won her last two clashes with Sharapova but has so often fallen short on the big occasions as she continues her search for a maiden slam, while the 2016 Australian and US Open champion Kerber has won her last three clashes with Sharapova.
This week will be the ultimate test to see whether Sharapova is ready to return to the summit of women's tennis. If she can make it past the remaining obstacles in the top-half of the draw then a sixth major title is there for the taking, with the far from formidable figures of Madison Keys or Sloane Stephens set to be waiting in Saturday's final.
