Just like her game against fellow Russian and 5th seeded Nadia Petrova, Maria bounced back after being left behind for the 1st set against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan on the 3rd round of the Roland Garros tournament.
As Skysports has reported, Sharapova has endured a tempestuous relationship with the Roland Garros crowd in the past - she was booed off after being knocked out in 2007 and 2008.
But she said she was enjoying playing the role of the underdog after seeing her ranking slide during her enforced absence.
"You're ranked outside the top 100, so people like you," she quipped. "When you're number one in the world, for some reason they don't like you anymore. It's amazing how the society works.
"Especially here in France, I think they always love the underdog, and they always love the one that comes back from behind, or the one that's not expected to win. I'm probably that person,"
She will now take on another player returning from injury in Li Na of China for a place in the last eight.
Despite favoring other top-seeded players like Dinara Safina and former French Open title holder Ana Ivanovic, I would love to see Maria advanced up to QF, then SF, and hopefully in the Finals. I just love her - her fighting spirit and her strong mentality to win. And besides, seeing her dressed up with her Nike-sponsored sports outfit makes me root for her more. Good luck Maria!
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