Sharapova: "I didn't feel comfortable"

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A tough loss for Maria Sharapova yesterday against Flavia Pennetta, but it's been a great year for Maria. She's returned to the top 5, reached the Wimbledon final (French Open semis, too), and reinforced her reputation as one of the hardest working, most intense players on the tour.

Still, this one has to sting. And it also makes us wonder: What's next for Maria? Now that she's established her top 5 ranking again, will she go back and shore up her serving issues so that she can put herself in a position to win more Slams?

It would be the logical step for Sharapova, but it's one she's needed to make for a few years, and hasn't. What is keeping her from improving her serve, and is there a coach who can help her get things sorted out? Thomas Hogstedt is getting the big bucks as her coach, but he doesn't appear to be helping Maria get the serve firing on all cylinders.

2 years after her return from shoulder surgery, it's still the pink elephant in the room, the fifty million dollar question, and a big reason why this press conference is so subdued. Tossing 12 double faults and getting broken 7 times is simply too much to overcome, even for a fierce competitor and world class ball striker like Maria