Facts
Name :Maria Yuryevna Sharapova
Know as Maria Sharpova
Birthday : April 19, 1987
Birthplace : Nyagan, Western Siberia
Occupation : Tennis Player , Model
Russian professional tennis player and a former World No. 1.
Famous Works
Singles Champion
Singles Runner-up
WTA Tour Singles Champion
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Biography
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ( a former World No. 1 professional tennis player, the current number 2 ranked female tennis player and the world's highest-paid female athlete) was born on April 19, 1987 in Nyagan, a town in the Siberian region of Russia . In 1989, the family moved to the Black Sea resort town of Sochi .
When she was 4 years old, a chance encounter changed her life. She met with the father of tennis champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and the man gave her a racket. From that moment, she started hitting tennis balls. The game soon became a passion for her.
Two years later, she was performing at a tennis clinic when another tennis champion changed her life. Martina Navratilova was in the building and she was flabbergasted by the talent of the 6-year-old. She went to her father, Yuri, and recommended that he take his daughter to the world-famous Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida .
Sharapova moves to America
Soon after, this same advice was repeated by the head coach of the Russian Federation . Everyone agreed it was the best thing to do in light of Maria's enormous talent. When she was only 7, Yuri took his daughter to the U.S. without knowing a word of English and with $700 in his pocket.
IMG, the sports management company, agreed to sponsor Maria and put up the $35,000 US per year it costs to stay at the Bollettieri Academy . Not knowing any English either, she was very shy and introverted.
While her father took odd jobs, Maria moved into the school dorm when she was 9. Sharing a room with three older girls, she quickly learned the language. Still, it was hard on her, especially since her mother, Yelena, remained in Russia because she couldn't get the proper visa.
Two years later, her mother was finally able to come to Florida and be reunited with her daughter and husband. From that moment, she took it upon herself to educate Maria, who has never been in a formal school in her life.
Maria's smash hit
Her official tennis career began in 2001, when she joined the junior circuit. During that year, she won 25 matches and only lost three. In the process, she came away with three titles: Sacramento , Hilton Head and Pilsen in the Czech Republic .
The following season, Sharapova did even better on the junior circuit with 26 victories and, again, only three losses. She once more won three titles: Vancouver, Peachtree and Gunma in Japan . The same year, she was allowed to play a limited number of matches on the professional tour.
Maria Sharapova won one match and lost two, including one against Monica Seles in the second round at Indian Wells, her first professional tournament. After all the results were tabulated, she was ranked 186th on the WTA charts.
Sharapova's year
By 2003, Sharapova had paid her dues and was able to play in the big leagues. She joined the WTA Tour and impressed everyone with her talent. For that season, she came away with 34 wins and a negligible 11 losses.
Maria Sharapova also won two professional titles: Quebec City and the Japan Open. She also won two doubles titles with Tamarine Tanasugarn: Luxembourg and the Japan Open. When the season was over, her ranking had improved to place her at number 32.
In 2004, she stunned Wimbledon audiences when she beat champion player Serena Williams, making Sharapova the first Russian to win a Wimbledon singles title and the third-youngest women's champion in history.
From June 2004 until her Wimbledon semifinal appearance in 2005, Sharapova won 22 straight matches on grass, including back-to-back Birmingham titles and the Wimbledon crown. Sharapova's success continued after winning Wimbledon , both on the court, making the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open, holding three match points there before falling to Serena Williams 2-6, 7-5, 8-6, and off it, with numerous commercial endorsements.
Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005
Defending her Wimbledon title in 2005, Sharapova sailed through to the semifinals without losing a set, but then lost to a rejuvenated Venus Williams (7-6, 6-1). Sharapova's streak on grass was ended, as was her quest to dethrone No. 1 Davenport.
However, a back injury that Davenport sustained in the Wimbledon final meant that she could not defend the ranking points she obtained during the U.S. hard court season of 2004. Sharapova was also suffering from an injury and did not complete a tournament during the season, but she had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. Her reign lasted only a week when Davenport re-ascended after winning the New Haven title. Sharapova rose to the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005, despite losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Sharapova held on to the No. 1 ranking for a further six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the 2005 Zurich Open.
Sharapova's loss in a semifinal of the 2005 U.S. Open against Kim Clijsters marked the fourth time that season she had lost at a Grand Slam tournament to the eventual champion: Australian Open-SF-Serena Williams, French Open-QF-Justine Henin-Hardenne, Wimbledon-SF-Venus Williams, U.S. Open-SF-Kim Clijsters. That streak was broken in January 2006, when Sharapova lost in an Australian Open semifinal to Henin-Hardenne, who lost in the final to Amélie Mauresmo.
Sharapova, as the third seed, claimed her first title of 2006 at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells (a Tier 1 event), defeating No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva in the final, 6-1 6-2. This was the 11th title of her career. Sharapova and Dementieva were the first Russians to reach the final of that event. Soon after, Sharapova reached the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open, losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3.
Sharapova participated at the 2006 French Open having not played any clay court tune-ups. After saving three match points in the first round against Mashona Washington, Sharapova was eliminated in the fourth round by Dinara Safina 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, after Sharapova led 5-1 in the third set. Sharapova lost 18 of the match's last 21 points.
Sharapova welcomed the onset of the grass season but failed to add a third successive Birmingham title to her collection, losing in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson.
Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2006
For the second consecutive year, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to eventual winner Mauresmo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Sharapova claimed her second title of 2006 as the second seed at the Acura Classic in San Diego, defeating top seeded Clijsters, 7-5, 7-5. This was Sharapova's first victory over Clijsters in five meetings.
Sharapova entered the 2006 U.S. Open seeded third after Clijsters dropped out of the tournament with a wrist injury. Considered one of the favorites to reach the final, she lived up to expectations defeating Mauresmo, the number one player in the world, in a semifinal 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. Sharapova was victorious in the final, beating Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title, 13th tournament of her career, and third tournament of the year.
Maria Sharapova won the 2006 Zurich Open, defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the final. Sharapova then won the Generali Ladies Linz, defeating fellow Russian and defending champion Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-2. That was her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career.
It has been announced that Sharapova will play for the Russian Fed Cup team for the first time in 2007.
Sharapova currently has a 2-5 record in Grand Slam semifinals. Sharapova is currently ranked No. 2 in the world. She has a combined 3-7 record against the top 2 players in the world (1-3 against Mauresmo and 2-5 against Henin-Hardenne). She is 2-4 against Clijsters and 4-1 against Davenport, both of whom were formerly ranked world No. 1.
Legal action
In July 2006, Sharapova and her agents sued Byzantium Productions, Inc., a Florida-based production company, accusing them of illegally using her name and image to promote their documentaries. A federal judge ruled in Byzantium's favour on August 3, 2006.
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News
Maria Sharapova Criticize for Pulling out of Fed Cup Semis
July 15,2007
Maria Sharapova will not play for the Russian team in this weekend's Fed Cup semifinal matchup against the United States.
Russian tennis officials have again accused Maria Sharapova of putting her own interests ahead of her country after she pulled out of the team for this weekend's Fed Cup semi-final against the United States.
Russia's chief tennis coach Vladimir Kamelzon accused Sharapova's entourage of discouraging the Florida-based Russian from playing for her native country.
Sharapova, who was soundly beaten by eventual champion Venus Williams in the fourth round at Wimbledon last week, has been suffering with a persistent shoulder injury since April.
"Over the past 48 hours I have consulted with my medical team and I have been advised that I need to rest my shoulder for the next 10 days with no activity," said Sharapova on her web site.
"Her closest advisers are Americans and they would never allow her to play for Russia," he said.
Maria Sharapova Defeats Patty Schnyder
June 3, 2007
World number two Maria Sharapova survived two match points before overcoming Switzerland's Patty Schnyder 3-6 6-4 9-7 in a gripping fourth-round match on Sunday.
Schnyder served for the match three times before dropping serve in the last game, bowing out by sending a forehand wide after two hours and 37 minutes of a tight contest that could have gone either way.
Former Wimbledon champion Sharapova, who feels more at ease on faster surfaces and has never gone past the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, will meet fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze for a place in the last four.
The 28-year-old Schnyder, who was a quarter-finalist in Paris in 1998 and was seeded 14th this year, had her chances but lacked composure when it mattered.
Second seed Sharapova, 20, has had many injury worries this year and said here she was being hampered by a sore shoulder.
She accumulated unforced errors and struggled with her serve throughout but a combative display in a thrilling finale saw her through.
"I won and that's all that matters," said Sharapova, who said here a few days ago that she felt like a "cow on ice" on clay.
"It was very exciting. I'm very grateful for having been part of it. I did a great job getting myself back into the match and putting myself in a position to win."
Maria Sharapova is appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
February 14, 2007
Tennis star donates US$100,000 to eight Chernobyl recovery projects in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine
New York – At a ceremony today at United Nations headquarters, the world's top-ranked women's tennis player, Maria Sharapova, was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). At the same time, Sharapova announced a donation of $100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects.
“UNDP works around the world making a positive difference in people's lives, and I am proud to add my personal commitment to its work,” said Sharapova, who will serve in her new role to rally support for the global campaign against poverty. “UNDP's efforts in the fight against poverty are crucial for young people everywhere to achieve their potential. I am looking forward to working with UNDP.”
Sharapova's work with UNDP will include promoting international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Adopted by 189 countries in 2000, the Goals are clear, time-bound targets for achieving measurable improvements in the lives of the world's poorest people. They aim at eradicating poverty, putting children in schools, promoting women's rights, fighting killer diseases, and providing access to safe drinking water. UNDP is working to help countries around the world achieve these goals by 2015.
“UNDP is very proud to welcome Ms. Sharapova as our Goodwill Ambassador,” said Ad Melkert, UNDP's Associate Administrator and UN's Under-Secretary-General. “She is a role model for young people who face challenging conditions in life. She is already building on her success as a top athlete to create concrete opportunities for disadvantaged young people to improve their lives.”
At the ceremony, Sharapova announced a $100,000 contribution to eight youth-oriented projects in rural communities in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine that still suffer the after-effects of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.
Sharapova's donation from the newly created Maria Sharapova Foundation will fund projects aimed at improving computer access, promoting ecological awareness, and restoring sports facilities and hospitals in the three countries most affected by Chernobyl. These projects complement a broad portfolio of UN work helping Chernobyl-affected communities regain a sense of self-sufficiency, build new livelihoods, and bring a once-blighted region back to life.
“My first step is to focus on the Chernobyl-affected region, where my family has roots,” said Sharapova. “Today, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that pose the greatest threat for young people in the Chernobyl region.”
“UNDP is especially pleased that Ms. Sharapova is targeting a region that is often overlooked by donors,” concluded Melkert. “We know that community-recovery projects of the sort that she has targeted for her generous donation hold great promise.”
Maria Sharapova Defeated By Serena Williams
January 27, 2007
Serena Williams has become the first unseeded player in 29 years to capture the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, the American claiming the trophy for a third time by dismantling Russian No.1 seed Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open 2007 women's final.
Not since Chris O'Neil in 1978 has a female stormed all the way through the draw at the Australian Grand Slam, but Williams showed a steely determination right from the first point in the final and was never troubled on the way to the 6-1 6-2 victory.
Williams hadn't claimed a WTA Tour title since winning her second Australian Open title in three years at the 2005 tournament, with a lack of fitness brought about by injury woes then compounded by knee problems that restricted her to only four tournaments in 2006.
But having started this year's first major with her ranking at No.81, Williams now has eight Grand Slam crowns to her name after racing out of the blocks under the closed roof at Rod Laver Arena.
After Williams held serve comfortably in the opening game Sharapova looked set to do the same but from 40-15 ahead she was broken and, after holding serve again herself, Williams broke again to love in the fourth game.
Sharapova pressured Williams in her next service game but couldn't make the most of a break point before finally holding serve after 23 minutes, and Williams opened up a one-set advantage after 26 minutes thanks to a Sharapova error.
The first-set procession included 15 winners to five from Williams and seven unforced errors to four, while she converted both her break points, won 28 points to 15 and landed 76 per cent of her first serves to Sharapova's 50 per cent.
The second set didn't start any better for Sharapova as she managed to win only one point in her opening service game and then saw Williams overcome a pair of double faults to consolidate the break and lead 2-0.
Williams continued to pressure the Sharapova serve in the third game of the second set and broke at the second opportunity thanks to a double fault and forehand dumped into the net, before comfortably holding again with an ace for a 4-0 lead.
Sharapova had rare easy games on her own serve in the fifth and seventh games, holding without being taken to deuce, but Williams likewise held easily in the sixth and eighth games to seal her superb triumph, falling onto her back in delight after hitting the final winner.
Williams now has three Australian Opens, a French Open and dual victories at Wimbledon and the US Open to her credit, and also a 3-2 head-to-head record against Sharapova.
The result also gives Williams some measure of revenge for her defeat to Sharapova in the 2004 Wimbledon final, with the world No.1 losing for the first time in a major final after also winning the US Open several months ago at Flushing Meadows.
Maria Sharapova Eases Past Clijsters
January 25, 2007
Maria Sharapova eased into her first Australian Open final with a 6-4 6-2 victory over fourth seed Kim Clijsters on Thursday. The 19-year-old Sharapova continued to struggle with her game, but was too strong for the Belgian making her last appearance at Melbourne Park, sealing victory on her first match point in one hour 23 minutes.
The pair exchanged two early breaks each in a scrappy first set before Sharapova took the Belgian's serve again in the 10th game to secure it in 42 minutes.
Sharapova, the U.S. Open champion, raced into a 3-0 lead in the second set and despite serving eight double faults and making 33 unforced errors the Russian will play unseeded American Serena Williams in the final.
Williams and Sharapova are 2-2 in head-to-heads -- Williams winning their last encounter after saving match points in the semifinals here two years ago before going on to win the title.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champ, weathered Vaidisova's powerful forehands and gave back plenty of her own, sometimes surprising the 17-year-old Czech player with her speed around the court and the pace of her ball.
After leading 5-1 in the second, Williams needed six match points before sealing it with an overhead.
"Yahooo!" she said, laughing and celebrating the win.
"She played some incredible points on match point," Williams said. "She just got relaxed. It reminded me a bit of myself. I just tried to stay focussed and tried to stay calm -- it was just great."
Sharapova overcame an early service break to dominate Clijsters, who was only able to convert two of her 12 breakpoint chances despite the Russian making eight double-faults and 33 unforced errors.
"I saw those double faults come in at the wrong times. But somehow I managed to fight through and make the first serve when I had to," Sharapova said. "That was the key and is also going to be the key in the final.
Sharapova was at her best under pressure, fending off seven break points in the second set. She rallied from 0-40 in the first game with a pair of aces and three forehand winners.
Sharapova, the U.S. Open champion, will be making her first appearance in an Australian Open final after two losses in the semifinals.
She said she was looking forward to a rematch with Williams.
"I'm excited for that. She came into this tournament without any expectations, and she is playing great tennis," Sharapova said. "To be in the final of a Grand Slam, that takes a lot of hard work. She's won many of these titles -- I have a lot to catch up."
Clijsters, who will retire at the end of the season and plans to start a family, has lost four semifinals here and the 2004 final.
She gave Sharapova match point with a double-fault, and Sharapova clinched it with a forehand winner down the line.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a better match today," said Clijsters, vowing to return -- with her family, not as a player. "I tried everything I had, and I came up against a better player."
Williams has won two of her seven majors at Melbourne Park and is one win away from her most improbable title.
In between her win here in 2005 and her run to this year's final, Williams had not beaten at top 10 player and dropped out of the top 100 at one point last year.
By reaching the final, she is expected to surge back into the top 20.
"I can't believe it. That's awesome -- that was so fast," Williams said. "I'm excited. I have nothing to lose. I'm back in the top 20, that means so much to me."
Williams played only four tournaments in 2006, finishing the season 12-4 and without a title. She was the ninth-lowest ranked player to make a Grand Slam semifinal since computer rankings were introduced in 1975.
If she wins, she would be only the second unseeded player to win the Australian in the open era.
Vaidisova broke Williams' serve in the first game and was dictating early rallies until Williams broke back to level at 3-3.
The pair traded breaks late in the set, with Vaidisova going ahead 5-4 and having a set point on serve before Williams rallied to break back and force a tiebreaker.
The 25-year-old American led 5-1 in the tiebreaker but allowed Vaidisova back to 5-5, serving consecutive double-faults.
She set up set point with a backhand winner and let out a powerful "gggrrrr" after Vaidisova dumped a forehand into the net.
Williams broke Vaidisova twice in the second set but the No. 10 seed rallied and won four straight games, saving four match points after being down 0-40 to hold the ninth game.
Serving again to finish it off, Williams had match point No. 5 at 40-30, when Vaidisova whipped a backhand crosscourt on the line for a winner.
Williams initially thought the ball was out and started to celebrate, then clearly wanted to challenge the decision but had no challenges left after using up her allotment earlier.
Her 10th ace of the match, on a second serve, set up Williams' sixth match point, and she finally cashed this one, throwing her hands in the air and leaning back to look at the sky.
Maria Sharapova Fights Into Semis
January 24, 2007
Women's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova has booked her spot in the semifinals of Australian Open 2007, but not before a battle royal with compatriot Anna Chakvetadze on Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova may have progressed in straight sets, but it was far from straight forward for the US Open champion, who had 41 unforced errors, before progressing 7-6(5) 7-5 into a semifinal against either Kim Clijsters or Martina Hingis.
Sharapova prevailed from a see-sawing first set, which could have gone either way. Chakvetadze got the first break in the sixth game, paving the way for a double exchange of breaks, where she had a chance to serve for the set at 5-3, but was broken back for a second time.
The tiebreak followed a similar pattern, with the first nine points going against serve, before an errant forehand from the No.12 seed opened the door for Sharapova. Chakvetadze saved one set point, but then crashed the ball into the net to concede the first set.
After Chakvetadze took a medical timeout for a troublesome shoulder, the pair exchanged breaks again early in the second. Long, drawn-out games were a feature of the set, and Sharapova also sought a medical time out for a foot injury. She then broke Chakvetadze immediately, but faltered serving for the match, giving her advantage away with a double fault on break point.
A myriad of errors from the less experienced Russian handed Sharapova her first match point, but she netted her chance to wrap up the match at that point. Her next opening came two games later, when she had an opportunity at 15-40. She missed one chance, but Chakvetadze eventually relented, unable to get the ball back across court to concede the match.
Top Seed Maria Sharapova Struggles Again at Australian Open
January 22, 2007
Top seed Maria Sharapova has celebrated her return to the world number one ranking by outmuscling fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 to reach the
Australian Open quarter-finals.
Sharapova's win over the tournament 22nd seed means she will meet another Russian, 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze, in the quarters.
The 19-year-old pin-up moves up from second in the world rankings following Amelie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova's elimination from the tournament and Justine Henin-Hardenne's absence.
Sharapova, who came within two points of elimination in her heat-affected opening match, displayed lapses of concentration against Zvonerova and acknowledged she needed to improve against Chakvetadze.
"I thought I played a lot better today than I did in my previous rounds but I'll definitely have to step it up against her," Sharapova said Monday.
"I don't know her game that well ... she's had some great results in the last couple of months and she's a big hitter and another young Russian that's coming up so I look forward to that."
Sharapova and Zvonareva battled out a baseline slugfest from the first game and neither player was able to make a breakthrough as the 24th-ranked Russian matched her more famous compatriot's renowned tenacity chasing down returns.
Sharapova, a semi-finalist here in 2005 and 2006, knew she was in for a battle during a marathon ninth game that went to deuce seven times, with Zvonareva saving five break points to hold serve.
But her relentless attack was finally rewarded with a break to go up 6-5, prompting an irate Zvonareva to hurl her racquet to into the court.
Sharapova served out the set while Zvonareva crumbled, admonishing herself between points and allowing her opponent to clinically take advantage of her mental disarray to take an early break in the second.
The reigning US Open champion raced to a 5-3 lead but also lost concentration, allowing Zvonareva a break to get to 5-4.
Sharapova, her trademark screech at full volume, then double faulted on one match point and blew another by mistakenly halting the rally to challenge the umpire's call before making it third time luck to wrap up the game.
Sharapova into fourth round
January 20, 2007
No.1 seed Maria Sharapova is through to the fourth round of Australian Open 2007 after an effortless 6-3 6-1 defeat of Italy's Tathiana Garbin in the opening match of Day Six on Rod Laver Arena.
The Russian start took just 69 minutes to knock over the 30th-seed, in a match played under the closed roof at Melbourne Park because of persistent rain outside.
Sharapova was far too powerful from the back of the court against Garbin, who had won through the third round of the Australian Open for the first time.
Sharapova will meet either No.22 seed Vera Zvonareva or No.13 seed Ana Ivanovic on Monday for a berth in the quarter-finals.
Sharapova Keeps Winning at Australian Open
January 18, 2007
TOP seeded Russian Maria Sharapova has effortlessly won through to the third round of the Australian Open.
Sharapova sailed past compatriot Anastassia Rodionova in straight sets, winning 6-0 6-3.
The match was a sharp contrast to her first round clash where she went within two points of crashing out after struggling for almost three hours in baking heat.
Sharapova now faces Italian Tathiana Garbin, who defeated Czech Renata Voracova 6-1 7-5.
Exhausted Sharapova hoping for quick pick-up
January 17, 2007
Top seed Maria Sharapova will hope to have her batteries fully recharged following a draining first-round victory when she faces Anastassia Rodionova in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.
The world number two needed extensive treatment after her three-hour epic against France's Camille Pin on Tuesday when she won through 9-7 in the third set after being two points away from defeat in searing 39 degree heat.
Sharapova holds a 2-0 career record against fellow Russian Rodionova, who has never won a set against the reigning U.S. Open champion.
Maria Sharapova Beats C. Pin
January 15, 2007
Maria Sharapova appeared affected by the tough conditions on Rod Laver Arena after tournament organisers implemented the Extreme Heat Policy as the temperature soared earlier today.
Under the policy, play continues on centre court but no new matches commence on the outside court.
Sharapova sought treatment from the trainer when leading 6-5 in the deciding set after her opponent staged a stirring revival.
Pin then broke Sharapova's serve and leads 7-6.
Women's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova has scraped through her first round match after seeking treatment in the third set of her heat affected clash at Melbourne Park.
Sharapova eventually beat Frenchwoman Camille Pin 6-3 4-6 9-7.
Maria Sharapova's, Clijsters, Hingis Ready for Aussie Openers
January 14, 2007
U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova and her fellow former world No. 1s Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis will be among the women seeing opening-round action Tuesday at the 2007 Australian Open.
The top-seeded Sharapova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, will open her stay here in Melbourne against France's Camille Pin. The Russian Sharapova reached the semifinals here in each of the last two years.
A fourth-seeded Clijsters, appearing in her final Aussie Open, will battle Russian Vasilisa Bardina. Clijsters is fresh off her title in Sydney, while the upstart Bardina was a runner-up in Hobart last week.
The 2005 U.S. Open champion Clijsters has reached at least the semifinals in her last four trips to Melbourne, where she was the 2004 runner-up to her fellow Belgian stalwart Justine Henin-Hardenne. Clijsters has already announced that 2007 will be her final season on the WTA Tour.
A sixth-seeded Hingis, a six-time Aussie Open finalist, will meet France's Nathalie Dechy on Day 2. The five-time major champion Hingis captured this Grand Slam event back-to-back-to-back from 1997-99 and was the runner-up here from 2000-02.
Other top seeds slated for Tuesday play are No. 8 Swiss Patty Schnyder and No. 9 Russian Dinara Safina, while 11 other seeds will open their stays in Melbourne, including No. 12 Serbian Ana Ivanovic, No. 15 Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and No. 24 Aussie crowd favorite Samantha Stosur.
Maria Sharapova Trying to feel the Court
January 11 , 2007
AUSTRALIAN Open women's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova has joined a band of players whose expectations regarding the Rod Laver Arena court appear to have been misplaced.
Much was made between this year's Open and the 2006 event of an intention to speed up the court, a move seen to be to the advantage of local No.1 Lleyton Hewitt.
The Queensland-based company which provides the Rebound Ace surface said it intended to make the court "slightly faster", mainly by laying it several weeks earlier than in previous years and therefore enabling it to settle in for longer.
But already Roger Federer, Marat Safin, Tommy Haas and Andy Roddick have declared Rod Laver Arena to be playing at much the same speed as at any other Open.
Sharapova joined them today, saying she had failed to detect any difference in the speed of the surface.
Of more concern to the Russian player was Melbourne's typically scorching January heat.
"The heat is a real challenge to most of the players," Sharapova said.
"It is a fact when you come to the Australian Open.
"In New York it's the hustle and bustle. In Australia it's the heat.''
Sharapova's chances of winning back-to-back grand slam titles has increased considerably in the lead up to the Open with the absence for undisclosed family reasons of world No.1 Justine Henin-Hardenne and the withdrawal this week of Venus Williams.
Maria Sharapova leads Russian challenge
January 9, 2007
US Open champion and world No 2 Maria Sharapova will lead a strong Russian challenge in next week's Australian Open. The 19-year-old Siberian heads a powerful Russian contingent which also includes world No 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, sixth-ranked Nadia Petrova and eighth-ranked Elena Dementieva.
After triumphing at Flushing Meadows for her second grand slam title four months ago, Sharapova is eager to add the Australian Open crown to her impressive trophy case. Success in Melbourne has an added incentive for the Florida-based Russian as she would then overtake Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne as world number one. Still, Sharapova has often said her main goal is to win titles rather than worry about the rankings.
"Personally, I don't feel it's a huge deal," she said referring to who might end up at the top of the rankings.
"I honestly don't remember who ends the year number one. You remember people who win grand slams."
Pepsi Takes Maria Sharapova to the Max
January 4, 2007
WORLD No.2 Maria Sharapova arrives in Melbourne next week to bid for her first title at an Australian Open, fresh from signing a multi-million dollar deal that consolidated her position as the top earner in tennis.
Multinational drinks company Pepsi announced a deal with Sharapova that advertising industry sources estimated would push her earnings this year towards the $US30 million ($37.95 million) mark.
Sharapova, who is warming up for the January 15 Australian Open at an exhibition in Hong Kong this week, was found by US Forbes magazine to be the second-highest earning tennis player behind Andre Agassi, with endorsements of $US19 million in addition to her prize money of $US3.9 million.
Agassi retired last year and Roger Federer, the third-highest earner in the survey, does not pursue sponsorship millions as keenly as he hunts records on court.
Sharapova, 19, was chosen this week by US sports magazine Sports Illustrated as the best-looking female athlete of 2006. Second place went to US volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.
Sharapova's second Grand Slam title, following her 2004 Wimbledon breakthrough, was a ticket to big incentive payments in many of her existing endorsement contracts.
Maria Sharapova Too Strong for Yan Zi
January 4, 2007
World number two Maria Sharapova kicked off 2007 with a tough workout against spirited Chinese doubles ace Yan Zi at the Watsons Water Challenge.
The US Open champion edged a thrilling battle 7-5 6-3 but will look for a much-improved performance at the Australian Open after allowing Yan several opportunities to get back into the contest.
Sharapova led 5-2 at one stage but was pegged back to 5-5 before breaking her opponent's serve and holding her own to clinch the first set. The Russian came out firing in the second and established a 5-1 advantage which proved too big a gap for Yan to make up.
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