As promised, Women's Tennis Blog is continuing its tradition of revising on-court outfits from the season behind us. This year's retrospections will start with the best-dressed WTA player – Nike-clad Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova started the season late, because of her career-threatening shoulder injury, playing her first match of 2009 at the BNP Paribas Open in March. She was introducing herself to competitive tennis slowly, playing doubles first, but her style had to be spot-on from the very beginning, and it was.

People argued that Sharapova’s Roland Garros dress had too much fabric, but I liked it, and I especially favored the blue color against the red clay. Read more »

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Qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru has won eight matches this week in Warsaw to claim her first career singles title in her main draw debut on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The 201st-ranked Romanian upset world No.39 Alona Bondarenko 7-6(3) 3-6 6-0 in the final of the Warsaw Open.

The 19-year-old Dulgheru became the first qualifier to reach the finals at Warsaw, and she did it by beating world No.205 Greta Arn in the first round, No.36 Sara Errani in the second round, No.95 Galina Voskoboeva in the quarterfinals and No.36 Daniela Hantuchova in the semifinals. And on top of all that she beat the clear favorite Bondarenko in the title match.

Dulgheru’s best career win prior to Warsaw was against world No.138 Olivia Sanchez at 2007 Granada.

Eighth-seeded Bondarenko was trying to win her second career singles title in her first final since 2007, which was also at the Warsaw Open. (photo via Warsaw Open)

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Eighth seed Alona Bondarenko progressed into the Warsaw Open final for the second time in her career, while sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova lost to a Romanian qualifier in the semifinals.

The world No.39 Bondarenko defeated Britain’s No.1 Anne Keothavong 6-2 7-5, and as the result shows, the Ukrainian was pushed harder in the second set. Just to mention that Keothavong was the first British woman to reach the last four of a WTA claycourt event since 1983.

Bondarenko, victor over Maria Sharapova in the Warsaw Open quarterfinals, will play world No.201 Alexandra Dulgheru in the title match. Dulgheru upset the 36th-ranked Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-4 6-7 (2) 6-1. The 19-year-old qualifier converted eight of 10 break points to reach the final in her WTA Tour main draw debut. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

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Maria Sharapova wasn’t strong enough to pass her third obstacle at the Warsaw Open. Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko defeated the Russian in the quarterfinals of the event.

Sharapova was victories in the first two matches of her singles comeback, but fell to the eighth-seeded Bondarenko 6-2 6-2, which we can’t say we weren’t prepared for.

It’s interesting to read Bondarenko’s opinion about Sharapova’s form after the nine-month injury layoff.

"I have played her (Sharapova) twice before her injury and I thought the match would be harder," the world No.39 said. "She makes more mistakes than before the injury… her serve was a little slower."

Despite losing, Sharapova is happy with her achievement at the Warsaw Open, and believes that she had the best preparation for the upcoming French Open. However, the current world No.126 is keeping her expectations low. (source: Reuters, photos: Ralf Reinecke)

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Maria Sharapova’s return to competitive tennis is progressing very well, as the Russian comfortably defeated Darya Kustova of Belarus 6-2 6-0 to win the second singles match she played after the nine-month injury layoff and reach the quarterfinals of the Warsaw Open.

The 22-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion showed signs of her glory, playing much more consistently than in the first-round three-setter against Italy's Tathiana Garbin.

Sharapova will next have a stiffer test, as she’ll fight eighth seed Alona Bondarenko for a place in the semifinals of the Warsaw Open.

Additional info: Sharapova is expected to play Roland Garros, and then to continue her comeback at the June 8-14 AEGON Classic in Birmingham, which will be her preparation for grasscourt Wimbledon. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

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