Video: Sharapova Aims for Red Clay Rebound

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Video: Sharapova Aims for Red Clay Rebound

Early spring has been a season of shifting scenery for Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova has slid out of the opening round of her last two tournaments, falling to eventual-champion Angelique Kerber in Stuttgart after a surprising straight-sets loss to 97th-ranked wild card Daria Gavrilova on the Crandon Park purple hard court in Miami.

More: Sharapova Fell on Clay, Twitter Was Fascinated

Those stumbles caused Sharapova to drop to No. 3 in the rankings as Stuttgart semifinalist Simona Halep surpassed the Russian for the No. 2 ranking.

The reigning Madrid and Roland Garros champion aims to regain her footing on red clay. Sharapova is already in Madrid practicing for next week's Mutua Madrid Open.

¡Calentando motores! @MariaSharapova y @FerVerdasco ya entrenan en la Caja Mágica. #MMOPEN15 http://t.co/otrTMboYar pic.twitter.com/CUOeSdfAhT
— Mutua Madrid Open (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 27, 2015

It's the start of a critical month for Sharapova, who is defending 3,105 ranking points from her title runs in Madrid and Paris and Rome round of 16 appearance from last year and could drop dramatically if she falls early in the three tournaments this spring.

In recent years, Sharapova has recharged on red clay. The two-time French Open champion has contested the Madrid final in her last two appearances, has been a Rome finalist in two of her last four trips to the Eternal City and has reached the Roland Garros final three years running.

Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open

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