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Two years later, at the age of six, when she was at a tennis
clinic, famed tennis player Martina Navratilova saw Maria's
talent, even though she was still very young. She was awed by
Maria's abilities, and knew the young tennis prodigy would go
far. Navratilova suggested to Sharapova's father that she
start training at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.
Later, the head coach of the Russian Federation suggested the
same thing; again proving that Maria had enormous talent and
possessed the makings of a star athlete. So, when Sharapova
was seven, her father, Yuri, took her to America- neither he
nor his daughter spoke English, and had under $1,000 in his
pocket for the both of them. The move was a huge risk for the
Sharapova family, but Maria's abilities could not be ignored.
Both Sharapova's parents believed in their daughter's talent,
and their faith paid off.
Because of Maria's extreme skill in the game of tennis, IMG, a
prestigious sports management and modeling company, agreed to
sponsor Sharapova, and provided her with the $35,000 it would
cost Sharapova to stay at Bollettieri Academy annually. This
was a huge relief for the Sharapova family, since the
transition from Russia to the United States was indeed a
challenging one. Maria's father began to take odd jobs in
order to support the two of them, and she moved into the
academy dormitory when she was nine. Sharapova began to learn
English quickly there with the help of the three older girls
she shared a dormitory room with, and she continued to excel
athletically. However, she was still faced with the difficulty
of living in America without her mother, Yelena, who was still
in Russia due to visa complications.
Two years later, when Sharapova was 11, her mother was
permitted to come to America to be reunited with her family.
Once her mother arrived, Maria was home-schooled, and would
never attend formal schooling again. This was indeed a happy
time for the Sharapova family-Yelena, Maria's mother was
finally reunited with her husband and daughter, and Maria was
able to spend time with her mother on a daily basis for
schooling.
In 2001, Sharapova's professional tennis career officially
began, when she joined the junior circuit. She won twenty-five
matches that year, lost only three, and came away with three
titles: Sacramento, Hilton Head and Pilsen in the Czech
Republic. The following year, she did even better, maintaining
her record of only three losses, and claiming twenty-six
victories. Once again, she claimed three more titles:
Vancouver, Peachtree, and Gunma in Japan. In 2002, she was
also permitted to play a number of matches on the professional
tour, which was quite an accomplishment for such a young
player.
Of these matches, she claimed one victory and two losses, and
was ranked 186th on the WTA charts. By 2003, Sharapova was
able to play regularly in the 'big leagues.' She joined the
WTA Tour, astounding everyone with her athletic talent. During
that season, she came away with 34 wins and a negligible 11
losses. She also won two professional titles, at Quebec City
and the Japan Open, as well as two double titles with fellow
player Tamarine Tanasugarn at Luxembourg and the Japan Open.
At the end of the season, her ranking had significantly
improved: she was now 32nd on the WTA charts, and was working
continually to improve her skills.
By 2004, Sharapova was as strong as ever-she wowed Wimbledon
audience by defeating champion player Serena Williams. This
victory made Sharapova the first Russian to win a Wimbledon
singles, and the third youngest women's champion in the
history of the game.
Currently, Sharapova is preparing to graduate from Keystone
High, on online high school. In her very rare free time, she
enjoys reading, watching movies, and working with IMG models,
a company she has been affiliated with since 2003. She is also
enjoying very lucrative endorsement deals with Prince, NEC,
and Nike, and resides in Bradenton, Florida, where she is
coached by her father, Yuri Sharapov and Robert Lansdrop.
Maria Sharapova Latest News:
Why Didn't Maria Play in the Last Two Major Tennis Events?
If you tuned into the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to watch tennis, or were glued to your television during this year's US Open, one player that you didn't see at either event was Maria Sharapova. Although she is one of the best female tennis players in the world, Sharapova didn't participate in either of these recent major tennis events.
So, why exactly did Maria not compete in two of the most highly regarded events in tennis? According to Maria, the reason that she missed out on both of these events was because of a shortcoming on the part of her doctors.
Earlier in 2008, Maria began experiencing major pain in her right shoulder. As she stated on her website, the pain was consistent throughout the day (regardless of whether or not she was playing tennis), and she was even bothered by the pain when she tried to sleep at night. As a result of this ongoing problem, she visited her doctors to find out what was causing her so much pain. Her doctors' diagnosed her with a simple inflammation, but this turned out to be very incorrect. At the Montreal WTA Rogers Cup, Sharapova withdrew after the second round (which she won), and this time, a new team of doctors diagnosed her with two small tears in her shoulder. Because she wasn't given the proper diagnosis the first time (which would have allowed her to heal), Maria now has no choice but to continue her extensive rehab work (which she was also forced to continue during the Olympics and the Open).
Maria Sharapova fights to beat Schnyder
Sharapova did not let herself down. She gathered the strength to fight back Patty Schnyder at the French Open. The Russian second seed was troubled when she faced two match points – 20 minutes apart but each time she pushed herself to get back into the game.
After two hours thirty seven minutes of match, Sharapova squeezed past Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 9-7 and expressed her victorious happiness through blowing a kiss towards the sky. Sharapova said “Today is what I play for. I am a huge competitor. Don’t count on me giving up. If I lose the match, I want to be able lose it on my terms.” Well that’s the true spirit! Where there is zeal, there is way.
Maria Sharapova moves ahead in the French Open
The second seeded Maria Sharapova has reached the fourth round of the French Open today (June 2, 2007). This is the fourth time in her career she has reached at this position. Maria made a come back from 4-1 down in the second set to beat Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 6-4 despite an apparently troublesome right shoulder.
Maria needed only 28 minutes to win the first set breaking her opponent’s serve thrice. But she was broken consecutively thrice in the second set before she won the five straight games.
Sharapova said “I was making a lot of unforced errors.” She added “not a lot of people are going to let e get away with that. It’s good reminder for the future not to let that happen again.”
Now Maria Sharapova might meet No. 14 Patty Schynder or Karin Knapp or the No. 5 Amelie Mauresmo, the winner of 2006 Australian Open, in the quarterfinal match. Sharapova has 15 titles to her name but she lost to Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open and is yet to acquire a title this year.
In the beginning of the tournament Sharapova met with a shoulder injury which still troubles her. She said “like I said, I can’t expect a lot from my shoulder this week.” Sharapova added that “at times I still feel it during the match.”
Maria Sharapova’s dream men
The ace tennis player who has crossed her teenage few days back, Maria Sharapova has listed the ten men who she feels are the men of her dreams. The beautiful tennis star would like to go with them on a “night session please”.
The topper on the list is John Mc Enroe, followed by James Bond, Vladimir Putin, Prince Williams, Christano Ronaldo, Adam Scott, LeBron James, Yao Ming, Bano and Orlando Bloom.
The 26 year old Maria ranks the Adam Scott at number 6 in her list. Adam has been based in the US like the statuesque Russian beauty in the name of his sporting profession, and would definitely be glad to hear of the former WTA Tour No. 1’s interest in him.
The Russian beauty Sharapova did not clarify as to whether her list of top ten men was in any particular order and included both the sportsmen and other world figures in the chart, stating the reason behind her liking them.
She wants the former men’s world No. 1 champ John McEnroe so that she “can yell at all the umpires” with him, and the Russian president Vladimir Putin because then “no one would mess” with them if they were paired on the court.
The British throne heir Prince Williams is Maria’s fantasy man because then “everybody would love us at the Wimbledon” and the Manchester United and Portugal football player Ronaldo because Sharapova feels that they would make “one hot team.”
Maria’s top ten favorite destinations
She is perfect at hitting the ‘balls’, the shining star of the tennis world who has all prepared to scale new heights, Maria Sharapova, has revealed her top ten favorite destinations. These are the fortunate places the ace player would want to explore. According to mariasharapova.com, the dream places of the girl who has recently stepped out of her teenage are- Africa, Phuket (Thailand), Alaska, St.Petersburg (Russia), St.Tropez, Greek Island, Venic (Italy), Hawaii, Tuscany and Maldives. Maria says “…top ten places I haven’t been, but want to go…
Maria Sharapova turns 20
The ace tennis player Maria Sharapova has stepped out of her teens and has turned 20 on April 19, 2007. The record breaking player and also a glamorous model, is too happy on bidding good bye to her teenage. According to turning 20 has helped her severally. The site mariasharapova.com reports the young and successful lady saying that “Well I'm finally twenty! So exciting not be a teenager anymore! Its been absolutely amazing having a somewhat 'normal' life for the last 2 weeks. After getting my cortisone shot I hopped on a plane, and flew to Portland to surprise my friend who was having a birthday the next day. I told her my arm was so sore that I had to lay in bed all day and ten minutes later knocked on her front door. I got that priceless 'deer in headlights' reaction followed by a scream that traveled over a mile. So after spending a day there, I headed back home and had to start rehab which is just as exciting as flossing your teeth. And I have been working out twice a day which makes me feel like it's December all over again. But other than that I have been trying to be somewhat mature and independent.....which includes going to the grocery store, making sure the house is clean, and doing other things that usually are done unnoticed when my Mom is around. Like the other day I had to run what felt like 20 errands because it took several hours, but actually thinking about I didn't do that much considering lunch was on the to-do list. But how can you possibly skip a meal for errands? I went to the post office to pick up some packages that were sent back there after five failure attempts of ringing my doorbell when I was away. Next was 'boutique tarjet', otherwise known as target for some toilet paper and other daily necessities that I usually think are permanently stocked in the house. BTW....did you know that there is aloe vera in the Kleenexes you use once and throw away? Talk about waste of plants!! Then I had to go to T-Mobile to start up this new Motorola Q9 I received. (this is the first doodle I'm writing on this, which is why it's taking me forever.....and please don't mind the spelling mistakes.....I'm not used to this teeny keyboard). But one of the best things about having this time off is actually being able to spend time in one place, which means getting to spend it with a 'special someone' without having to have daily text conversations.
I'm starting to hit tennis balls on Monday which is exciting and frightening at the same time. Don't really know how my arm will be so it's also a bit nerve wrecking. My birthday was so fun! My Mom and Dad flew in a couple days before and since on my actual b-day I was having lots of friends over, I had a nice little dinner with them the night before. I received amazing bouquets of flowers from my friends and sponsors. I'm obsessed with flowers and every time someone asks me what i want, I say flowers because there's nothing more beautiful than receiving a gorgeous bouquet. I did receive some other stuff.....of course...but I think I will leave that to a top ten list because I feel like I'm running out of ideas. I had about 15 people get together at one of my favorite restaurants in L.A and it was great to see most of my close friends in one room.... which happens once in a blue moon.
Everyone has been asking how it feels to be 20 (a question everyone seems to ask after every birthday). Really, how different are you supposed to feel?? Well I got up, got a few hugs, went to the gym and left sweating profusely just like on any other day, except with a new diamond ring on (minor detail). I tell them I closed the door shut on those teenage years but forgot the key inside. Just like I shut the door on the teenage years, I'm shutting the door on writing my doodles on a handset device....took way too long!! TTYL!”
Maria Sharapova plays it for the UN Goodwill
The ace tennis star, the damsel who rocks the whole world with her wonderful perforamcnes on the field and also off the field because of her voluptuous beauty, Maria Sharapova has now a new laurel to her name. The scintillating Russian tennis star has been chosen the latst celebrity to be appointed a Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Maria has given her consent to use her charisma and fame to garner support for the UNDP organization and to fight against global poverty. The lady who is currently ruling over the tennis world has also made a donation of $100,000 (GBP 51,500) to help improve the public sector in the parts of the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia that have severely worn the brunt of the world’s nuclear accident, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Maria told contactmusic.com that "My first step is to focus on the Chernobyl-affected region, where my family has roots. "Today, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that pose the greatest threat for young people in the Chernobyl region." Being crowned as the ambassador of UNDP Sharapova has joined hands with Danny Glover and soccer players Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, who are already working for the development fund.
Is Maria Sharapova a victim of Kournikova Effect?
The ace tennis star is again in news, this time not because of her hits on the tennis ground but for the speculations that she might be a victim of the ‘Kournikova Effect’. The derailing and much talked about effect in the world of tennis is named after Anna Kournikova, the Moscow born beauty who pursued her career in tennis. Anna was a wonderful player though she was never able to perform well in singles and acquired all laurels in doubles games only. She was one of the world’s best doubles tennis players. But Anna came more into the limelight because of her glamorous looks and not her performances. She soon turned into an internet sensation due to hoards of sites and blogs containing her sensational pictures.
Maria Sharapova, a damsel much younger to Anna is feared of walking on the latter’s footsteps. Maria is widely acclaimed when she is on the field and also when she is off the field doing modeling. But till now Maria seems to be more focused on her tennis career. She was ranked No. 1 in women’s tennis. She has won some coveted laurels such as Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles title etc. On the other hand Maria has become one of the hot content for websites and blogs. The Siberian beauty has a great fan following on the internet. So the quest remains that how will Maria strike a balance between the two sides of her life. In any case she must never forget that it is the game of tennis that brought her recognition.
Maria Sharapova enters Australian Open finals
Maria Sharapova enters finals by defeating Kim Clijsters with an impressive 6-2, 6-4 win at the semi-final of the Australian open. The win has entitles Maria to meet the former champion Serena Williams during the finals. Maria’s opponent Clijsters had announced that she would retire at the end of this season and this was her final appearance in Melbourne. Sharapova relived the 2004 Wimbledon final while claiming the second set form Clijsters since the latere could not convert the crucial break points. Sharapova claimed five breaks while Clijsters could manage only two out of 12. Another strong point in favour of Maria was her 70% success rate.
Maria’s got the smile and plenty reasons as well
A voting held by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) voted Maria Sharapova as the female athlete with the best smile. She gathered an amazing 42% of the votes. Tiger Woods was nominated as the male athlete with the most winsome smile with 59% votes. Julia Roberts, Matthew McConnaughey, Hilary Duff, and Halle Berry are the ones from tinsel town with smiles worth a plastic surgery.
One thing that must have surely added to the sweetness of Maria’s smile is her deal with Land Rover. The financial details are not known but it’s a multi-year deal so we can be sure that it will net the glam babe a cool few millions.
Maria Sharapova won't end the year as number 1
Sharapova has been recently described by WTA chief Larry Scott as a diamond. Perhaps, he saw her glitter at the photo shoot prior to the Madrid tournament. Sharapova, already 6'2" tall, Sharapova stood head and shoulders above her competitors in her 4" stiletto heels. If it was a ploy to psyche her opponents, it didn't quite work.
Winning at Madrid would have offered Maria the chance to end the year at Number 1; however that was not to be and she went down to Henin-Hardine in the semis. Henin-Hardene won 6-2, 7-5 (5). Sharapova is still on the recovery path from the foot injury that she had a month ago.
Sharapova has had a dazzling year so far in which she has won five tournaments that includes three-in-a-row in her last three tournaments. She hasn't done too badly financially either and has accumulated a cool $24 million in the last year. Maria was named the world's richest female athlete by Forbes for the year 2005.
Maria's plans for the future include turning up for Russia in the next year's Fed Cup. She has often been called a "passport Russian", most notably by Russian player Nikolay Davidenko. Hopefully, her move of playing for Russia in this prestigious tournament will shut her detractors up. That said, it may give them a chance to say that she has turned her back on America, which gave her everything she wanted to become a successful tennis player.
Maria Sharapova believes in retail therapy
The 2006 Wimbledon did not turn out as the ace tennis player Maria Sharapova had dreamt. Sharapova, the 2004 champion lost in the semifinals against Amelie Mauresmo. This was a great shock to her. The 19 year old found it difficult to lift her spirits after her defeat. But soon she found solace in retail therapy. Sharapova told her fans that positive thinking and retail therapy is of great help at times. She said "it is definitely not a setback. I take every loss as a new beginning. It teaches me a lot. I am going to be back on the court and I am going to keep working until I get better at those things." She added, sometimes talk is cheap. It is a matter of going out and doing it. In a few days I will be back on the practice courts and that is what it is all about."
Maria Sharapova got interrupted
The Russian beauty and tennis goddess Maria Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon Champion had an unusual experience while playing one of the matches for this year's championship. Read More
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