Tennis-Rested Sharapova seeks to maintain form at Indian Wells

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

INDIAN WELLS, California, March 12 (Reuters) - Refreshed after a week's break, Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova is eager to build on her fast start to the year at this week's Pacific Life Open.

The 20-year-old Russian is unbeaten in 14 matches this season and has recovered from the viral illness which forced her to pull out of the Dubai Championships two weeks ago.

More significantly, Sharapova is delighted to be injury-free after suffering a spate of ailments in 2007 ranging from hamstring strains to shoulder problems.

"It is so refreshing because basically all of last year, in the grand slams and a couple of other tournaments, I was playing with pain-killers before every single match," Sharapova told reporters on Wednesday.

"Even though during the match it might be taking care of the pain, you know at the back of your mind it's not 100 percent and you have to do something about it.

"For much of last year, I couldn't serve and I couldn't hit a backhand volley so I couldn't work on either of those."

Sharapova jetted into Israel for the Fed Cup immediately after her Melbourne Park triumph. After a short break, she then travelled to Doha, where she won her 18th WTA title before having to withdraw from Dubai two days later.

She attributed her viral problems to her globe-trotting tournament schedule but has now put that behind her.