"It has been a couple of years since I have held the winner's trophy. It is a great feeling"
Monday 16 October 2017 21:06, UK
Maria Sharapova is eyeing a strong finish to a season that began with a doping ban but hit a high when she won her first title in over two years at the weekend.
The former world No 1, who returned from the 15-month suspension in April, defeated Belarusian teenager Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Tianjin Open on Sunday.
And now five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova is looking forward to building on the success in Moscow at the Kremlin Cup, a tournament she has not appeared at since 2007.
"Obviously coming there with the title already means a lot, but I do really want to finish strong," said the Russian, who accepted a wild card for the event.
"I don't remember the last time that I played three events in a row. But I will give it everything I have got and I know I have so many amazing fans there."
The 30-year-old, who has catapulted up to world No 57, said the Tianjin title, the 36th of her career and her first since May 2015, was special.
"It has been a couple of years since I have held the winner's trophy. It is a great feeling," she said.
"When you start all the way from the beginning of the tournament and then you end up playing the final in a full stadium with so much enthusiasm and energy and you are the one that wins the last point, just everything falls into place.
"You have to appreciate those moments, never take them for granted."
Sharapova takes on Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova in the opening round in Moscow on Tuesday.
Sky Sports will have all the action from the Erste Bank Open and Swiss Indoors Basel before the Paris Masters.
The Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and season-ending extravaganza World Tour Finals at London's O2 in November end another memorable year which will be covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with live blogs and updates as the season reaches its climax.
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