( dpa )- Exhausted Maria Sharapova has dropped a huge hint that resting might take precedence over playing - with the upcoming Miami Masters a possible scheduling victim.
The Russian was rolled and her 18-match win streak ended in a semi-final loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Indian Wells event.
And Sharapova says that a non-stop schedule so far in 2008 may be taking a toll on her fitness.
"I'm playing a lot of tennis, been flying a lot. It's all been work since I took a week off after the Championships (last November)," said the three-time Grand Slam winner.
And her next pause in play? "Maybe next week, I don't know," said the run-down champion.
Sharapova's schedule since late December has taken her from the US to Singapore for an exhibition, then Melbourne, Israel for Fed Cup, home to LA, Doha in the Gulf and finally Indian Wells in the Californian desert.
She is due to play in Miami starting in a week, a date which is looking increasingly expendable.
"It takes a toll on your body and your mind as well. You feel like you have to go out on the court and spend a lot of emotion and energy out there.
"Sometimes you just don't have it for every match."
The 20-year-old who suffered through 2007 with a chronic shoulder injury knows the value of playing pain-free and fresh.
"I just have to be clever about the (scheduling) decision. This year is so young and I still have so many big tournaments ahead of me and so many goals that I want to achieve this year."
The Russian said she would consult with her handlers about the next move.
"I can't really be putting any pressure to myself and saying, 'You've got to go out there and play next week.'
"If I'm not going to be ready, I'm not going to be ready. No one's forcing me to go out there and play."
Sharapova has lost two finals in Miami, 2005 to Kim Clijsters and a year later to Kuznetsova.