**but i'm a supergirl and supergirls don't cry**
Q. You had double faults in the second. Were they caused by shoulder problems, were they?MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, like I said, I can't expect a lot from my shoulder this week. Just try to loosen it up as the match goes on. Sometimes I feel it during the match, but it's normal. It's okay.
Q. Is it likely to threaten your continued participation here?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: What?
Q. Here, are you likely to have to pull out because of it, do you think?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, hope not.
Q. And the cortizone injection, have you just had the one this year?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Mm-hmm, just one.
Q. So when did you finally figure her out in that match?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I figured her out pretty quickly. I think I played a pretty solid first set, but I had a little bit of a letdown. It was a bit strange. I was making a lot of unforced errors in a period of a very short time and just got to -- in a way I was happy that I was able to come back and find a way to win after being 3-All and 4-1 down to two breaks.
But in a way, it was also lousy because I know not a lot of people are going to let me get away with that. So it's a good reminder for the future to not let that happen again.
Q. You said a few days ago you think you can win a lot of matches without your serve. You've won some. But does the level go up, and might you not need that shot in the next round or always looking ahead?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I threw in some bigger first serves today. In my previous matches, it was just -- I don't really -- I don't have, you know, a big first serve, and I was doing fine. I had a high percentage of first serves, and especially here, even if the conditions are lighter than the other days, you know, I don't think you can get a lot of advantage from hitting a huge first serve here.
You know, if I keep my percentage up, I feel a lot better about myself.
Q. You said two days ago that during your time off, you'd got grips with cooking and shopping. Is that one of the reasons you want to keep on playing with your shoulder injury, that the cooking and shopping didn't go too well?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Is that what?
Q. Is that one of the reasons?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Am I the only one not getting the joke?
Q. Is that one of the reason you wanted to keep playing with your shoulder injury was because the cooking and shopping didn't go too well?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, it was a good time away from, you know, all the hustle and bustle that goes with the tour. But after a while, you come to realize that, you know, I really missed it and I wanted to go back on court. And I missed the competition. I really did. And after a while, it became, you know, boring, and I actually wanted to go to restaurants instead of staying home.
Q. Some of the TV people are suggesting that it might be an idea if you did pull out to save yourself for the grass court season. Has that occurred to you and are you concentrating on your shoulder?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: That's the first time someone's had an opinion about me. No, everyone is going to have suggestions and opinions, and in my career, I'm going to have a lot of those. But the most important person in this situation is myself and I listen to myself.
Q. Playing on with an injury problem can cause even more damage, can't it? Have you worked out that calculated risk of playing or no?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think I've made it pretty clear that the doctors have given me an okay to play with it, even though, I mean, it's impossible to feel 100 percent healthy, even if it's not the shoulder.
I mean, you're always going to feel aches and pains somewhere, especially on clay courts. It's normal. As long as I know I can't damage anything further, then I'm cool to play.
Q. What sort of treatment do you get on it when you come off the court? Is there any specific treatment you have after every match?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Well, after the match, yeah, I loosen it up a little bit. I mean, I probably spend about an hour, hour and a half doing rehab every single day just on the shoulder.
Q. Is that ice or is that --
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Is that?
Q. Ice?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: No, more like strengthening and exercising. After the shot, I mean, it is weak and it gets weak, but so are other parts of my body. Everything seems to be weak, and everything needs to be worked on. So, but, obviously, right now, the shoulder is the No. 1 thing.
Q. What percentage would you put yourself out of your full potential at the moment?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't like to put percentages on myself. I don't think that's -- no reason to. I just go out and play.
Q. So if you play Schnyder and she's in a tough match right now --MARIA SHARAPOVA: Mm-hmm.
Q. That's a long, drawn-out kind of tricky match on clay, on a surface that's obviously not your favorite surface and it's one of hers. So how do you approach that kind of battle?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I'm ready for any battle. It's definitely not an easy match. She's also a lefty, also likes the clay, and I got through that just fine. I'll need to be patient. It's going to be my mindset going into the match. But I also need to be playing my game.
I mean, I've played her on clay before. I think last time I did before was in Rome a couple, few years ago, and I lost in three sets. But, you know, it's a different situation. I mean, I've got to do the things that I still do best and compete and fight, and hope that, you know, I don't have any letdowns. Because, obviously, she has more experience than the girl I played today, and she's not going to let you get away with that.
Q. Here on clay, is it a bigger test of the mind or bigger test of the body?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Probably the body, yeah.
Q. I know that sometimes you work in Valencia, on clay court. But for your game, do you think it's possible to shoot security and risk, because by the shoulder last year got to the semis last year by hitting hard. But this is clay. Do you practice this?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Practice what?
Q. Patience in the court, let's say.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Patience on the court.
Q. Yeah.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I don't -- yeah. The last time I practiced in Valencia was, I think, two years ago. But I've been just fine since that. So, I don't know. I mean, I don't think it matters where you actually practice it or not. I mean, you know, some people have their own strengths and weaknesses and try to work on their weaknesses. But I don't think patience is necessarily one of my weaknesses and something I need to go to Valencia to work on.
Q. When you play on clay, sometimes you're hitting the ball hard, hard. If it doesn't come in, you must be more patient with --MARIA SHARAPOVA: You're maybe a coach? I mean, it's like more of a coaching advice rather than a question here. As I said before, I only play on clay for about a month and a half, two months a year, and especially in the last few years. Last year I was injured. This year I was injured. It's been quite unfortunate, but it's also a very short amount of time.
There are tournaments during the year where you can go to Europe and play clay courts, but that's not an option. I'd much rather play on a preferred surface. So, you know, that's just the way it is. Everybody's different.