World No. 2 Maria Sharapova said Tuesday she has put on some more muscle over the past year to play better in Grand Slams.
The 19-year-old Russian spoke to reporters on the eve of Hong Kong's three-day Champions Challenge exhibition, a warm-up for the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 15.
Sharapova said winning the French Open title was one of her New Year resolutions.
``I only play about three tournaments a year on clay and obviously French is one of the biggest and prestigious Grand Slams, so definitely it means a lot to win,'' Sharapova said.
The exhibition also includes Belgium's Kim Clijsters, Czech Republic's Nicole Vaidisova, Switzerland's Patty Schnyder, and Yan Zi and Zheng Jie, both from China. Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva will also play.
Sharapova said she just finished five weeks of training.
``I gained a lot of muscles last year. I definitely feel physically stronger than I was here two years ago. I feel much more experienced,'' she said.
``I'm able to play Grand Slams. I'm able to play several matches without feeling physically tired,'' she said.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
