Sharapova is targeting title repeat at SW19

The Russian defeated Simona Halep 6-4 6-7 (5/7) 6-4 in a terrific three-hour final to reclaim the title she won in 2012.

Sharapova now turns her attention to grass and going all the way at SW19, 10 years after she stunned Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final as a 17-year-old.

At that stage it seemed inconceivable that the Russian big hitter would win more grand slam titles on clay than grass over the next decade, something she acknowledged after defeating Halep.

In the two years after her Wimbledon glory she reached the semi-finals both times, but since then Sharapova has made it past the fourth round just once, in 2011.

On that occasion she made it back to the final only to lose to an inspired Petra Kvitova.

Last year Sharapova joined the raft of big names tumbling early, literally in her case when she fell three times in a second-round loss to Michelle Larcher De Brito.

Sharapova said: “I’d love to (win it again).

“It marked my career and I appreciate that moment so much.

“It came so unexpectedly yet 10 years later to be having five grand slams, to come back and still be playing and still have the energy and the passion to win more.

“That brings a lot of joy because I want to get better and I want to win more.”

Halep sat down on her chair with a towel draped over her head at the end of Saturday’s final.

She said: “I was crying at that moment for a few minutes.

“And then I was smiling because I said that it was my first grand slam final and that I have to be happy, to smile, because I did everything on court.

“I played very good tennis. So I’m really proud about these two weeks.”