While tennis fans clamored for a spot at the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami to see the pros play, it was the virtual court action that added a new twist to the festivities. 2K Sports hosted a special event on March 26th in which the hottest tennis sensations, including Maria Sharapova and James Blake, played Top Spin 3, the highly anticipated video game featuring their likenesses.

The Sony Ericsson Open lost one of its major stars on Saturday morning when Maria Sharapova announced she is withdrawing from the Key Biscayne tournament because of fatigue.

Sharapova, who has dominated the tour since winning the Australian Open in January, had her 18-match win streak broken by Svetlana Kuznetsova Friday night in the Indian Wells semifinals, and Sharapova told reporters afterwards that she was considering taking a break and skipping the Sony Ericsson Open, which begins Wednesday. She advised tournament officials of her decision early Saturday morning.

QUESTION
Didn't seem like you out there, Maria. She played well, but you looked a little slow, late to the ball, all that.

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
That's pretty much right. You can keep talking. I'm sure it will be correct.

QUESTION
She did a good job dictating with her forehand, she served pretty well. But with you, you never seemed to get any rhythm.

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
I was just playing with a much slower pace than I normally play with. You know, I wasn't -- I wasn't going for my shots as I normally do, and as usual, I wasn't seeing the ball that good. I wasn't taking the short balls and doing anything with them, kind of giving her the opportunity to get back in the points.
There were a couple important points that could have changed the match, and she ended up winning them. I think from that she gained confidence and kind of steamrolled after that in the third set.

Sharapova's perfect start to the year came to a shuddering halt when she lost 6-3 5-7 6-2 to fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Pacific Life Open semi-finals on Friday.
Australian Open champion Sharapova, who had won her first 18 matches of the season, was outplayed when it counted by the second seed in a fluctuating match lasting two hours, 19 minutes.

"There were a couple of important points that could have changed the match and she ended up winning them," Sharapova, 20, told reporters. "I think from that she gained confidence and kind of steamrolled after that in the third set.

QUESTION
Did you say at the end of the match, This is my home now?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:
Well, I did, because in the first set I was playing like I didn't even belong on that court. I finally got my groove back, and it just felt like, you know, I finally belonged to be out there.
My level just was so low in that first set. I wasn't going up on my serve, I wasn't returning. I was making so many errors, and she had -- she had that first set in her hands and she just didn't take her opportunities.
You know, to be honest, she did everything better than I did in the first set, and somehow I ended up winning it, and that gave me the confidence. And in the end of that set I started to pick it up, but the second set was great.