Bitter Fight Between Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova Over Rankings?

Once upon a time, Grigor Dimitrov was scrambling to step up the world rankings just so he could be somewhat in the same league as his superstar girlfriend Maria Sharapova. Dimitrov had been doing fairly well reaching his all-time career-high singles ranking at number 14. He is certainly out to prove that he is something more than being just Sharapova's boyfriend. As Dimitrov soars up the world rankings, Sharapova is in danger of falling out of the top 10 in the latest World Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, a new report say.

According to Tennisnow.com, Sharapova might be headed out of the top 10 for the first time in four years. From the eight position, Sharapova dropped down one spot to the ninth place in the latest WTA rankings. She is only 241 points ahead of Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova.

Sharapova was ranked outside the top 10 back in 2010, the Web site further reported. It was around the time when she suffered a number of injuries. However, she regained composure and managed to climb up the rankings the following year, on March 22, 2011, and she managed to stay in the top 10 ever since. In 2012, she even made it to the top 5 after winning the French Open title.

Sharapova's 2014 season

Sharapova's 2014 season doesn't look so promising. However, it is still a little early to tell. She kicked off the current season by playing in the 2014 Brisbane International, advancing to the semifinals before losing to long-time rival Serena Williams. Then she competed in the 2014 Australian Open but was ousted in the fourth round by Cibulkova, losing in three straight sets. She participated in the 2014 BNP Paribas Open but suffered defeat from Italian athlete Camila Giorgi. She faced Williams again in the semifinals of the 2014 Sony Open Miami Masters but suffered yet another defeat from the American. She has not played since then.

In 2013, Sharapova was in the running for the top spot, battling with Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Now, she is ranked eighth. Could Sharapova be really headed out of the top 10 before 2014 ends, while her boyfriend Dimitrov breaks into the top 10?