Linda Pearce on Maria Sharapova - Sport

Linda Pearce

Linda Pearce is the Chief Tennis Writer and general sports reporter for The Age. She writes about a range of sports, including football, netball, and gymnastics. Linda has twice been named Australian tennis writer of the year.

Tennis

Final yields tears, pain and fireworks

Linda Pearce Victoria Azarenka defended her Australian Open title at Melbourne Park on Saturday night, but not before the drama that preceded the final spilled over into the match itself.

Linda Pearce

Li Na winning the battle of hearts & minds

Linda Pearce A new mentor has helped the Chinese star become a formidable figure on centre court, writes Linda Pearce.

Tennis

Brighter prospects as Li learns to exhale

Linda Pearce THE technical improvement in Li Na's tennis has been with her serve and forehand; the bigger change in China's most famous sportswoman is a happy combination of heart, legs and mind.

Tennis

Azarenka focused on winning, not her nemesis

Linda Pearce World No.1 Victoria Azarenka has returned to Australia illuminated by the spotlight that comes with being the reigning Australian Open champion, but she insists her approach to this year’s tournament...

Azarenka back, ready to roll

Linda Pearce, Brisbane World No. 1 is back with an approach she insists will be no different from last year.

Tennis

One Australian's luck runs out as Hewitt waits

Linda Pearce, Brisbane Jarmila Gajdosova leaves in a flurry of errors, the last Australian woman to exit main draw.

Gajdosova's luck runs out as she returns to erratic ways

Linda Pearce IF JARMILA GAJDOSOVA was considered lucky to avoid a second-round meeting with injured world No. 2 Maria Sharapova at the Brisbane International, and instead play replacement Lesia Tsurenko, the...

Eight is enough

Linda Pearce Petra Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, was close to claiming top billing in the world a year ago, but she is content to be heading into 2013 as world No. 8.

Tennis

Azarenka foots cost of pedicure with forfeit in semi-final

Linda Pearce AN OVERZEALOUS pedicurist has been fingered for disrupting the Australian Open preparation of defending champion Victoria Azarenka, who withdrew from Friday night's Brisbane International semi-final...

Tennis

Injury forces Azarenka out of Williams clash

Linda Pearce A bad pedicure has been fingered for disrupting the Australian Open preparation of defending champion Victoria Azarenka.

No-shows a go for the Open-minded

Linda Pearce The lead-up to the Australian Open has been notable for those who have been absent.

Ten things to like about tennis this summer

Linda Pearce Interactive: The tournaments, players and moments to watch this season.

Tennis

Serena's rekindled passion

Linda Pearce Serena Williams makes jokes about arthritis these days, about the good-time girl who has become so staid that she often fancies a nanna nap, and so dull that sometimes she even bores herself.

Tennis

The softer side of superwoman

Linda Pearce SERENA Williams makes jokes about arthritis these days, about the good-time girl who has become so staid that she often fancies a nanna nap, and so dull that sometimes she even bores herself.

I'm obviously a very good player, I've just got to let it happen

Linda Pearce This is not another story about Samantha Stosur's miserable start to summer, or her performance anxiety at home, or her failure to reach a quarter-final at Melbourne Park.