Sharapova takes on Kvitova in Wimbledon final
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The fifth seed last claimed the grasscourt prize in 2004 when she was just 17 and went on to win the U.S. and Australian Opens before a serious shoulder injury threatened her career.
The fashionable Russian has bounced back in style just as the women's tour was struggling to capture the imagination of the public in contrast to a thriving men's game.
Eighth seed Kvitova, a Czech left hander, will offer a stern test, though, in her first grand slam final with mostly sun forecast and the Center Court's roof set to stay open.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Reporting by Mark Meadows, editing by Ed Osmond)