Sharapova is ready for 2009, agent says

Maria Sharapova has had a hard time with injuries in 2008, but her agent, Max Eisenbud, says that everything is going well and on track, as Sharapova will start the season off with an exibition tournament.

“She’s doing good,” Eisenbud said in a telephone interview. “Everything’s on track.”

Sharapova has not played on the tour since pulling out of Montreal in late July after winning a match which lasted nearly three hours and in which Sharapova made 17 double faults.

Medical tests later found that the Russian had a torn rotator cuff tendon.

The injury forced Sharapova to miss the Beijing Olympics and the US Open, breaking her streak of 23 consecutive Grand Slam appearences since Australian Open 2003.

The injury also meant that the 21-year-old would slide in rankings, as she finished the year at No. 9.