By: Matt DeCorso

Hey everyone! What a sad end to a perfect week in Berlin for Venus. After survivng her semi, her twisted ankle couldn't handle the demanding tennis that Mauresmo would have forced her to play. Anyways, I'm optimistic that it will heal in time for Paris so don't worry. Nadia Petrova and Meghannn Shaughnessy get some props for capturing the doubles title. Along with Ruano Pascual and Suarez, the Russian/American duo are a force to be reckoned with and have won 3 titles this year. Maria Sharapova and Tatiana Golovin get some kudos for beating Perebiynis and Craybas respectively on Day 1 in Rome. Enjoy the preview!

Maria Sharapova versus Elena Dementieva

Masha is back and is having an awesome time on clay. After reaching the third round in Berlin, she came devilishly close to upsetting Capriati but couldn't finish the job. Her efforts in Germany helped her ranking climb into the Top 20 for the first time at 19! Way to go Masha! The qualifier Perebiynis certainly challenged Maria before the Russian won 6-4 7-5. In this match look for Maria to definitley attack Elena's laughable second serve and maybe even rush the net.

Weakness: Maria can sometimes get frustrated at herself and it causes her to lose her concentration.

Elena Dementieva has probably the most brutal second round opponent of all the seeded bye getters. She struggled over Cohen-Aloro in the second round of Berlin before being ousted by a hot Kuznetsova. She is really looking to restart her year after the dazzling week in Miami she had. In this match look for Elena to make Masha run a lot as she may not be used to the Roman clay JUST yet. She will also be hitting lots of drop shots to win points.

Weakness: Pure overpowering by Sharapova and the second serve!

Who has the Edge?

Serve- Sharapova

Groundies- Dementieva

Movement- Dementieva

Intangibles- Sharapova

Volley- Dementieva

Well it looks as though Elena is the stronger woman so far. This will be their third match against each other. In their first match, Sharapova was the victor in Birmingham on grass. Then at the end of the year in Shanghai, Elena beat Maria in two tight sets on a hard court. The clay may be the deciding factor in this match. For Maria, don't get down on yourself if you are losing. Use the skill that pushed you to an almost win over Capriati. For Elena, make sure you come to net an utilise your impeccable volleys.

Matt's Pick: Sharapova will upset the favoured Dementieva, 6-3 4-6 6-2.

Thanks

GO MASHA!!!!!!