Experience a boon for Sharapova

MARIA SHARAPOVA knows she has the advantage of experience going into for her Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova today.

Seven years on from her first final, when at the age of 17 she produced a stunning upset by beating Serena Williams, Sharapova (inset) is back in a Wimbledon title match.

Sharapova remembers all too clearly how she headed into the 2004 final. “I remember getting sick the day before,” she said. “So I was just trying to get better. I was quite upset with that. I think that took my mind away from everything.”