"It was my mom's birthday today and I couldn't win for her" - When Maria Sharapova lamented losing to Serena Williams in Australian Open final
Maria Sharapova lost the 2007 Australian Open final to Serena Williams on what was her mother's birthday.
Sharapova was the top seed in the tournament and reached the final with wins over Camille Pin, Anastasia Rodionova, Tatiana Garbin, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvetadze, and Kim Clijsters.
In the final, the Russian faced the unseeded Serena Williams, who defeated her 6-1, 6-2 to win her third Australian Open crown.
Sharapova said in the post-match press conference that losing was not "fun."
"It's not fun. You go back in the locker room, like, 'Darn it, I just lost. Someone is celebrating over there. They're going to be opening a bottle of champagne,'" the Russian said.
Sharapova added that moments like entering the locker room after a final made one stronger. She also spoke about talking to her mother, who told her to look forward to other tournaments.
"It's just, I think these moments make you stronger. Not necessarily now. You know, I always, you know, when I win or lose, I call my mom. She always tells me, 'Look, you got a tournament next week,'" the Russian said.
"You got to focus on that. You're going to remember this day in your future, in your career when you're going to look back and say, 'This really taught me something. This only made me stronger.' This has happened many times," she added.
Sharapova also stated that it was her mother's birthday and described how her mother managed to make her happy and realize that it was just another defeat.
"Unfortunately, it was my mom's birthday today and I couldn't win for her. But, you know, she still made me happy, made me realize this is just another loss," Sharapova said.
Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams faced each other four times at the Australian Open
Maria Sharapova took on Serena Williams four times at the Australian Open, with the American coming out on top on each occasion.
The first meeting between the two at the Melbourne Major came in the semi-finals of the 2005 event, with Williams winning 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 after saving match points.
The 2007 final was their second encounter and their third came eight years later in 2015 in the final. The American triumphed 6-3, 7-6 (5) in 2015 to win her sixth title in Melbourne.
The last meeting between the two at the Australian Open came in the quarter-finals of the 2016 edition, with Serena Williams winning 6-4, 6-1.