Sharapova stoic about losing No.1 spot

Maria Sharapova is calm about losing the World No.1 spot with defeat in the fourth round at Wimbledon, the Russian tennis star has said.

Either second-ranked Victoria Azarenka or No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska will emerge on top after the tournament after Sharapova’s 4-6, 3-6 defeat to Germany’s Sabine Lisicki ended her reign as No.1, which started last month with victory at the French Open.

“Obviously what I achieved a few weeks ago doesn’t just go away in a few minutes – I’ll have that for the rest of my career. But the tennis world keeps going,” Sharapova said on the WTA website late Monday.

“Of course, you want to stay at the top as long as you can, but obviously everyone guns for that spot, as it is the top spot.”

Lisicki will face fellow German Angelique Kerber in the quarter-finals after she downed former champion Kim Clijsters 6-1, 6-1.

Photo : AFP