General / Editor / 22 March 2007 /

Maria Sharapova is hoping to make it third time lucky when the Sony Ericsson Open gets underway in Miami.

The top seed lost in straight sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova last year and Kim Clijsters in 2005 but could strike a winning note at this year's event, having already been granted a bye in the first round.

Sharapova will play either Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain or Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei in the second round. Sharapova has beaten Llagostera Vives twice before in 2005 but has never played Chan.

The world number two's route to final, however, could be thwarted by the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena.

The Russian will face 28th seed and compatriot Maria Kirilenko or Venus Williams - who has won the tournament three times - in the third round. She could then meet 13th seed Serena Williams, who won the event for three years between 2002 and 2004, in the fourth round.

Sharapova is seeded to meet Nicole Vaidisova in the quarters, defending champion Kuznetsova in the semis and Justine Henin in the final.

Sharapova heads to the event - one of the biggest outside the Grand Slams and the final hardcourt competition before the clay season starts - looking to improve on her fourth-round defeat to 16th seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia at Indian Wells last week.

Sharapova can be backed at 6 - along with potential fourth-round opponent, Serena - to break her duck in Miami in the Winner's market, while beaten Indian Wells finalist Kuznetsova is trading at 14 to make it two wins on the spin.

Clijsters, who will retire at the end of the season, is on offer at 8.6, while world number one Henin, who has won the Qatar and Dubai Opens this year, is the favourite at 4.4.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>