The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Paris

It's been a struggle for the world No.1 in the first week of the French Open but she believes the real Maria Sharapova has finally shown up.

The tournament's top seed has spent nearly seven hours on court in winning her first three rounds and at times she has despaired over her lack of form.

But after edging a marathon first set 7-6 (7/4) against Italy's Karin Knapp on Saturday, the Russian cut loose using the full power of her impressive arsenal of strokes to take the second 6-0 putting her safely into the last 16.

"I don't know if my sister arrived," she said.

"I felt like for the last couple of days it was like a different person. It was like my twin sister was here and then Maria actually made her fly away and made it for the second set.

"I guess you just hang in there and you keep trying to do things right. Just been really hesitant the last two days, not really being aggressive and not playing my game."

It's an experience that is not new to Sharapova, who won her third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

"I've had different experiences in different Grand Slams," she said.

"There are some Slams, a couple that I have won, that I didn't play my best tennis in the first week and a half or so and then I stepped it up when I had to."

Starting with her win in Australia, Sharapova has so far had an impressive year adding tournament wins in Doha and Amelia Island before being forced to withdraw from her semi-final at the Italian Open in Rome earlier this month because of a leg injury.

The previous week Justine Henin had shocked the tennis world with her sudden retirement announcement and Sharapova suddenly found herself back in the number one spot.

She could lose that next week to Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, but the Russian insists that is not her main concern.

Of more importance she says is her next opponent, fellow Russian Dinara Safina, who has hit form at the right time winning the German Open in the buildup to Roland Garros.

The two have played five times with Sharapova winning three of them.

"She's been playing some really good tennis in the last couple of weeks," she said of Safina.

"She is also playing on a surface that she likes to play one and sort of grew up on as well.

"Obviously I'm going to ave to play better than I have and step it up. It will be a challenge, but it will be a good challenge."