<p>Short of tournament sharpness in the build-up to the Australian Open because of injury, Maria Sharapova has found a novel way of playing herself into form -- roughing up the local boys. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The Russian World No 2 has been getting into the groove by beating up on Australia's top young players, having pulled out of Brisbane with a neck injury last week. <br /><br />Sharapova has found some willing opponents in a couple of Australians, including Luke Saville, last year's junior champion at Melbourne Park. <br /><br />“I played a couple of the junior boys here -- actually a good couple of Australian kids,” Sharapova told reporters on Saturday. <br /><br />“I think one of them got a wild card in the main draw.”<br /><br />That was Saville, who gave French Open champion Sharapova a real run for her money as she looked to blow away the cobwebs in time for her run at a second Australian Open title. <br /><br />“We didn't actually finish,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said. “The set took too long.”<br /><br />The other hitting partner was 16-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis, a player tipped as having a bright future and who impressed when stepping in for the injured John Isner at the Hopman Cup last week. <br /><br />Unfortunately for Kokkinakis, Sharapova's fiercely competitive streak ensured that she would not allow him the pleasure of a victory. “One of them was really on top of me and then I got really mad,” said the 25-year-old, who tried to protect his identity. <br /><br />“I think he had eight set points and I ended up winning the set. I'm not going to tell who it is,” she laughed. “Too embarrassed. I don't think he slept well after that one! It was just nice to be able to have different types of game styles as well.”<br /><br />Sharapova woke up with pain in her neck and collarbone area on December 23 and immediately pulled out of a planned exhibition in South Korea. Having spent almost a year off the women's tour in 2008-09 after surgery on a career-threatening shoulder injury, Sharapova admitted she was wary of any pain in that part of her body. <br /><br />But the 2008 Australian Open champion said she hoped her experience would see her through if her game hits full throttle in time. <br /></p>
<p>Short of tournament sharpness in the build-up to the Australian Open because of injury, Maria Sharapova has found a novel way of playing herself into form -- roughing up the local boys. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The Russian World No 2 has been getting into the groove by beating up on Australia's top young players, having pulled out of Brisbane with a neck injury last week. <br /><br />Sharapova has found some willing opponents in a couple of Australians, including Luke Saville, last year's junior champion at Melbourne Park. <br /><br />“I played a couple of the junior boys here -- actually a good couple of Australian kids,” Sharapova told reporters on Saturday. <br /><br />“I think one of them got a wild card in the main draw.”<br /><br />That was Saville, who gave French Open champion Sharapova a real run for her money as she looked to blow away the cobwebs in time for her run at a second Australian Open title. <br /><br />“We didn't actually finish,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said. “The set took too long.”<br /><br />The other hitting partner was 16-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis, a player tipped as having a bright future and who impressed when stepping in for the injured John Isner at the Hopman Cup last week. <br /><br />Unfortunately for Kokkinakis, Sharapova's fiercely competitive streak ensured that she would not allow him the pleasure of a victory. “One of them was really on top of me and then I got really mad,” said the 25-year-old, who tried to protect his identity. <br /><br />“I think he had eight set points and I ended up winning the set. I'm not going to tell who it is,” she laughed. “Too embarrassed. I don't think he slept well after that one! It was just nice to be able to have different types of game styles as well.”<br /><br />Sharapova woke up with pain in her neck and collarbone area on December 23 and immediately pulled out of a planned exhibition in South Korea. Having spent almost a year off the women's tour in 2008-09 after surgery on a career-threatening shoulder injury, Sharapova admitted she was wary of any pain in that part of her body. <br /><br />But the 2008 Australian Open champion said she hoped her experience would see her through if her game hits full throttle in time. <br /></p>