Tennis star ...
but Maria's eyes weren't on the ball last night
TENNIS lovely MARIA
SHARAPOVA copped an eyeful at a pre-Wimbledon tennis bash in London on Thursday night.
The modestly endowed world No2 blushed after being approached by an extremely busty party guest.
A fellow reveller said: "A lady with the most gigantic breasts walked into the party and Maria couldn’t
keep her eyes off them.
"She must of had a five inch cleavage on display which didn’t seem very appropriate for a posh
Wimbledon party.
"Maria was giggling with her friends and dared one of them to try and get a picture on her phone.
"She looked as if she was really letting her hair done before Wimbledon begins.
"She also kept on saying that she couldn't believe anyone would wear such revealing outfit."
The annual Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event – held at the Kensington Roof Gardens – attracted
many big names including party host RICHARD BRANSON, VENUS and SERENA WILLIAMS,
MARTINA HINGIS,DUNCAN JAMES and MEG MATTHEWS.
Sharapova all fired up for Wimbledon
London - Maria Sharapova insists her bid for a second Wimbledon title will not be affected by a shoulder
injury that has forced her to take a precautionary week off in the build-up to this year's championship.
Sharapova,
the 2004 champion, is easing her way back to full fitness after sustaining the right shoulder problem in late April.
She
opted not to play the WTA tournament at Eastbourne this week in case she aggravated the injury, but the Russian, seeded second
at Wimbledon, is confident she can compete for Amelie Mauresmo's crown.
She said: "I have been playing matches for
the last four weeks which is great because I was out for so long with a pretty serious injury.
"I am just happy and blessed to be back on the court. It will be under observation for the next few weeks but
that is part of a tennis player's life."
Sharapova showed no signs of being hampered by the problem as she reached
the final in Birmingham last week and she can't wait to return to the All England club.
"I had a great week in Birmingham
played lots of matches and that was really good for me," she reported.
"This is one of the funnest seasons for me.
It is lovely to be back at Wimbledon because it brings back a lot of amazing memories. It is always good to be here."
Sharapova wins at DFS Classic
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -- Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic advanced to the third
round at the DFS Classic on Wednesday.
Sharapova, who is trying to win her third straight title at the Wimbledon warm-up
tournament, struggled early but beat American qualifier Lilia Osterloh 6-4, 6-0. Jankovic defeated Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria
6-4, 6-1.
Sharapova and Jankovic lost in the semifinals at the French Open last week.
"(Grass) is so different from clay and makes you use different muscles, which can
be difficult at first. But I always enjoy playing on this surface," Sharapova said. "And that performance was OK."
Sharapova faced two break points in her opening service game, but recovered and eased
through the second set. The second-ranked Russian will next face Tamira Paszek of Austria, who beat 13th-seeded Meilen Tu
of the United States 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Sharapova secures place in semis
Maria Sharapova secured her place in the last four of the French Open with a 6-3 6-4 win over Anna
Chakvetadze.
The second seed's semi-final opponent will be Ana Ivanovic, who beat third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova
6-0 3-6 6-1 to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Jelena Jankovic joined fellow Serb Ivanovic in the last four with a 6-4 7-5 win over Nicole Vaidisova.
Jankovic's next opponent is top seed Justine Henin, who beat American Serena Williams 6-4 6-3.
Sharapova's win means both the top two seeds are through to the semi-finals.
The Russian, seeded two, has been struggling with a shoulder injury but she was pleased with her form
after beating Chakvetadze in 78 minutes.
"I was moving really well and I tried to defend," said the 20-year-old.
"That was the key. I was just retrieving well. I'm happy to be in the semi-final for the first time."
Of her next match against Ivanovic, Sharapova added: "She hits the ball pretty flat and big. It will
definitely be a very tough match."
Paris - Maria Sharapova saved two match points on Sunday and advanced to the quarter-finals at the
French Open by beating Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 3-6 6-4 9-7.
Schnyder served for the match three times, at 5-4 6-5 and 7-6 in the third set.
She was one point away from ending the match in the 10th game and again in the 14th - and she also
was two points away from victory on 11 occasions.
When Sharapova pulled it out on her first match point, as Schnyder sailed a forehand wide to get broken
again, the Russian covered her face with both hands and looked on the verge of tears. As both players met at the net, there
was a mix of boos and applause.
The second-seeded Russian will next face No 9 Anna Chakvetadze, who beat No 25 Lucie Safarova of the
Czech Republic 6-4 0-6 6-2.
Sharapova pumped her fist and screamed encouragement to herself throughout the third set at Roland
Garros.
In the 15th game, Sharapova won a disputed point when serving at 30-love. Schnyder watched the serve
land in the box, but complained she wasn't ready.
The chair umpire ruled the point would count, giving Sharapova her only ace of the match.
Serena Williams and Justine Henin also won, setting up a quarter-final showdown. Williams beat Dinara
Safina of Russia 6-2 6-3, while two-time defending champion Henin beat No 20 Sybille Bammer 6-2 6-4.
French Open: Sharapova triu
mphs over fear and pain
PARIS: On her way to this French
Open, Maria Sharapova had to make an important decision: face her fear of needles and receive a painful shot in her injured,
inflamed shoulder or take time off and skip one of the biggest tournaments of the year.
There was never any doubt what she would choose, Sharapova said.
One cortisone shot and nearly two months later, she walked onto the red clay courts at Roland Garros, sore shoulder and all,
and played her first-round match.
In her second tournament since returning from her injury, Sharapova
beat Émilie Loit, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
"As long as the doctors give me an OK, as long as I can play
through the little aches and pains that I get from time, then I'm OK, I'm willing to do it," she said. "I take the good with
the bad."
On another rainy day at Roland Garros, Sharapova, the second
seed, was one of nine Russian women to win their matches Wednesday. With success like that, the American men playing at the
French Open should have asked them for their secrets.
Never before have American men fared this miserably on the red
clay. All nine of them in the draw lost in the first round.
Eight were beaten on Tuesday, including No. 3 Andy Roddick and
No. 8 James Blake. On Wednesday, Robby Ginepri was their final hope. He could not redeem them, losing to Diego Hartfield of
Argentina, 6-4, 1-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
This is the first time in the Open era, which began in 1968,
that all the American men entered in a major tournament lost in the first round. And, yet again, the men seem perplexed on
clay.
"I don't know if it's because they are not willing to grind
for the points," said Meilen Tu, one of the five American women still in the singles draw. "I don't know if they're trying
to finish the points too quickly."
"You've got to be ready to hit one more ball," she said.
Ginepri suggested that the Americans host a camp before next
year's clay-court season, where they would be tutored by one of the better clay-court players. Of course, they would have
to search overseas for that man.
On the women's side, four Americans, including Venus Williams,
showed that at least a few could decipher Roland Garros's rich, red clay.
Williams made it to the third round in a tight match against
her fellow American Ashley Harkleroad, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8), though not without a struggle. She took control of the match early
and was leading, 6-1, 5-1, when the mistakes flooded in. Suddenly, the score was 5-5, with the schoolchildren filling the
stands wildly cheering every point.
"I really just got overconfident," Williams said. "I was just
feeling like I couldn't lose, and then it was even. So it was definitely a mistake that I've made before, not often."
Williams fended off five set points to finally win. In the meantime,
one of her serves was clocked at 206 kilometers per hour, or 128 mph, setting the record for the fastest women's serve in
a Grand Slam event.
Still, the day belonged to the Russian women, although the No.
1 seeds Roger Federer and Justin Henin advanced to capture some of the attention.
No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 9 Anna Chakvetadze and No. 10
Dinara Safina won their matches. But Anastasia Myskina, the player who, in 2004, started the wave of Russian women's success,
only got a quick taste of Roland Garros before being sent home.
When Myskina won the French Open in 2004, she became the first
Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. Since then, the Russians have won three more titles and continue to flood
the top 10.
Myskina returned to Roland Garros on Wednesday, despite having
missed five months after foot surgery in January. She was in search of the magic that made her a champion three years ago.
Instead, it was a short return to the Paris clay. It took only 55 minutes for her to lose to Meghann Shaughnessy, 6-1, 6-0.
Myskina, 25, knew she was not going to win another title here,
considering the surgery that left her big toe painful and swollen. But she did not expect the comeback to be so physically
and mentally jolting.
Now she realizes that the doctors may be right: She may never
play again, at least at a top level.
"You remember how you used to run or you used to play, and now
it's completely different story," she said. "It's difficult not to be sad right now, you know, to say like everything is fine.
Sharapova advances at Roland Garros
Serving below her best, Maria Sharapova eased her way into the third round of the French Open - sore
shoulder and all.
The second-seeded Russian, still feeling a shoulder injury that caused her to miss about two months
of action, beat Jill Craybas of the United States 6-2, 6-1 Thursday.
"It's still there at times," Sharapova said, referring
to soreness in her right shoulder. "For one week I couldn't do anything. I couldn't really move my shoulder up and down because
there was a significant amount of pain."
Sharapova still doesn't feel comfortable with her movement.
"I feel
like a cow on ice. Especially on clay," Sharapova said. "I don't play on clay for the other 10 months of the year. It's not
as natural for me."
Craybas quickly noticed that Sharapova's game was below par.
"I don't think she was hitting
her serve 100 percent," Craybas said. "Pretty much doing second serves all the time."
Sharapova has yet to win a title
this year. She has 15 career titles and lost to Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open.
The 20-year-old
Russian - a two-time Grand Slam champion - also reached the semifinals at Tokyo and Istanbul, Turkey.
Sharapova reached
the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2004 and 2005, and lost in the fourth round last year.
"She competed very well
the whole match," Craybas said. "She had a few loose errors, but that didn't distract her."
While Craybas thinks it's
still too early to tell whether Sharapova can win at Roland Garros, she won't rule it out.
"It's dangerous in general
to underestimate her," Craybas said. "She's still one of the best in the world."
Sharapova sneaks off from her Istanbul hotel
On her official website, Sharapova wrote: "During my visit to Istanbul, we have stopped at
a car wash to have our car cleaned. However, you always have to rewash your car in Istanbul since they dry cars with red towels
which leave stains all over the car."
Sharapova's internet diary has proven that she sneaked off from the hotel and
had a city tour all by himself without getting caught by paparazzi. Her driver got fired.
Hotel fires driver for secretly giving Sharapova
a city tourRussian tennis player Maria Sharapova who participated in Istanbul
Cup last week had taken a city tour with the driver assigned for her service, without the consent of organizers. When famous
player wrote this on her internet diary, the driver got fired.
On her web diary, Sharapova
wrote: "I am in Turkey....warm people and great food (very yummy)...two VERY important qualities. I haven't seen too much
of the city but from what I have seen, it reminds me a bit of Russia. Still adjusting to the time change....sort of forgot
what that feels like. I'm hoping I can visit their famous Grand Bazaar because I'm in search of their glass tulip tea cups,
although I'm not sure how realistic that really is.
I went through one of those claustrophobic drive through car washes
for the first time because there was no way I could spend another 20 minutes waiting around for a proper washing.....I was
a bit disappointed because after it was watered and splashed with some disgusting looking rainbow wax, someone dried it by
hand with a red towel, that left red looking dust all over it. Is it normal to need another car wash after just washing it?"
When
she posted this on her website, tour organizers have found out about her secret city tour without informing officials. Sharapova's
driver in Istanbul got fired.
Sharapova knocked out in Istanbul
Maria Sharapova
became the latest victim for unseeded Aravane Rezai as she crashed out of the Istanbul Cup at the semi-final stage.
The
59th-ranked player in the world, Rezai beat Sharapova 6-2 6-4, adding the Russian to her list of scalps after toppling number
four Venus Williams in the second round on Wednesday en route to her first final appearance.
Unable to string together
back-to-back wins this year prior to this claycourt tournament, the 20-year-old Rezai's best prior showing was in the quarter-finals
at Hasselt, Belgium last November.
The opponent in Saturday's championship match for Rezai will be second-seeded Elena
Dementieva of Russia.
Sharapova makes winning comeback
World number two Maria Sharapova won her first game back after a two-month absence with a shoulder
injury.
The US Open champion was a long way from her best form as she beat unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova
in straight sets in the Istanbul Cup.
"It was a difficult match and I was not expecting much from myself because I just came back from one
of my worst injuries," said the Russian.
"It was not my best performance, but I hope I will get better as I play more."
Sharapova eased through the first set 6-4 against her 19-year-old opponent, ranked 95th in the world.
But the former Wimbledon champion, 20, was taken to a tie-break in the second before eventually winning
it 7-1.
Sharapova, who said she "did not feel 100%", last played in March when she lost 6-1 6-1 to Serena Williams
in Miami.
The Russian will now face either Italian Romina Oprandi and Poland's Agnieskza Radwanska.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova in
Canon PowerShotcommercial
Canon USA newest ad advertisement campaign featuring tennis superstar Maria Sharapova
and the Canon PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH camera delivers style, substance and best-in-class status for the market leader
in digital cameras. As part of this new advertisement campaign, two new commercials titled “Banter” and “Dolce”
will debut in advance of the Roland Garros, French Open (May 27 - June 10, 2007). The integrated advertisement campaign consists
of television, print and interactive executions that reaffirm Canon’s relationship with and commitment to linking the
PowerShot digital camera brand to an individual who embodies the essence of Canon.
Canon Face Detection Technology “For the third installment
of our campaign with Maria, we wanted to show how passionate she is about taking pictures with her Canon PowerShot digital
camera,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A.
“This campaign continues to reinforce Maria’s connection with the brand, while highlighting one of the newest
advanced photo features called Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology.”
Canon PowerShot Digital ELPH “Banter,”
the 30-second spot and “Dolce,” the 15-second spot created by New York-based Dentsu America, and shot by industry
renowned director Joe Pytka, follows the successful “Practice” and “Attraction” commercials that debuted
in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and featured Maria Sharapova. In this execution, the PowerShot Digital ELPH camera allows
Maria to indulge her passion of photography, personified by her efforts to capture her Pomeranian dog Dolce’s every
move. The latest spot, which was shot in Miami, FL, puts Maria in a variety of situations to help reinforce the Canon PowerShot
brand’s positioning of substance and style, and explore Maria’s hobbies outside of tennis. Instead of capturing
a “single picture-taking moment,” as in past executions, “Banter,” shows Sharapova literally capturing
dozens of images while taking pictures with the PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH camera. “Dolce,” on the other hand,
focuses on the Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology which automatically adjusts focus, exposure and flash, for up to nine
faces, enabling users to capture the shot they want every time.
Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova “This spot
takes Maria’s relationship with PowerShot to another level. Maria’s powerful and magnetic personality always comes
through on the court. What audiences haven’t yet seen much of is the personal side of Maria, how engaging she is off
the court, and how much she really loves taking pictures,” said Mike Wilson, chief creative officer, Dentsu America.
“This campaign shows a fun side of Maria and showcases how much she enjoys using her Canon PowerShot digital camera
to capture all her favorite moments.”
Maria Sharapova video spot Both spots center on the humorous interplay
between Sharapova and her Pomeranian, Dolce. “Banter” involves Maria chasing Dolce around various locations, including
a tennis court, her house and her pool, constantly trying to capture his every move with her PowerShot SD750 digital camera.
Dolce responds to Maria's demands to "smile" and "roll over" through a voiceover, snapping back with lines such as, "A little
snap-happy with the new camera, no?” and, “You think you own me? Oh wait, you do own me.” “Dolce”
also centers on Maria and Dolce, but highlights the Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology, which sets the appropriate focus
and exposure, and can detect up to nine faces, as well as determine if a face is the main subject of the scene as the ensuing
frames demonstrate how it works.
Maria Sharapova - Canon commercial “Being a part of this Canon commercial
was a lot of fun and I think it shows my fans another side of me while showcasing my passion for photography,” said
Maria Sharapova. “This commercial was very true to life for me, since I really can’t stop taking cute pictures
of my dog. After seeing the commercial I’m really glad he can’t speak!” A print ad shot by prominent Sports
Illustrated photographer and Canon Explorer of Light, Walter Iooss, will accompany the launch of “Banter” and
“Dolce” and can be seen in various high-profile consumer magazines beginning in June.
SHARAPOVA MADE TO WORK FOR WIN
Top seed and world number two Maria Sharapova survived a brief scare before securing her place
in the semi-finals of the Istanbul Cup.
The Russian looked to be cruising past seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska before the Pole upset
the odds to take the second set.
But Sharapova showed no signs of the shoulder injury that threatened her participation in the
tournament as she produced a stunning display in the decider to finally come through 6-2 3-6 6-0.
The 20-year-old will now face unseeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in the last four after she
fought back from one set down to defeat America's Meghann Shaughnessy 1-6 6-1 6-4.
Second seed Elena Dementieva also booked her place in the semi-finals after surviving an early
scare against unseeded Catalina Castano.
The 25-year-old appears on course for an all-Russian final with Sharapova after disposing of
her Colombian opponent 1-6 6-4 6-4.
Dementieva will now face fifth seed Alona Bondarenko after third seed Patty Schnyder had to
withdraw from their quarter-final clash with a right thigh strain.
Sharapova progresses
Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva both were pushed
to a decisive third set before advancing to the semi-finals of the $200,000 Tier III Istanbul Cup.
The top-seeded Sharapova
continued her preparation for the upcoming French Open with a 6-2 3-6 6-0 victory over No. 7 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.
So
far, Sharapova has yet to break through at Roland Garros, as it is the only Grand Slam that the 20-year-old has yet to reach
the semi-finals in.
She did make it to the quarters in 2004-05 before losing in the fourth round to Dinara Safina last
year.
A finalist at Roland Garros in 2004, the second-seeded Dementieva
had to battle back from a slow start to dispatch Catalina Castano of Colombia, 1-6 6-4 6-4.
Dementieva's next opponent
will be No. 5 Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine.
The 22-year-old advanced on a walkover, as third-seeded Patty Schnyder
of Switzerland was unable to play due to a right quadriceps strain.
In the final quarter-final match, Frenchwoman Aravane
Rezai beat an American for the second straight day with a 1-6 6-1 6-4 victory over Meghann Shaughnessy.
Rezai, who
reached her first semi-final of the year, upset No. 4 Venus Williams in straight sets on Wednesday.
Rezai has faced
Sharapova once before, losing in the second round at the French Open in 2005.
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- Maria Sharapova beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6,
6-0 Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the Istanbul Cup.
The top-seeded Russian will meet Aravane Rezai of France
in the last warmup before the French Open.
"It's good for me to play tough matches like this," Sharapova said.
The
62nd-ranked Rezai, who ousted Venus Williams in the second round, is seeking her first WTA Tour title. She beat Meghann Shaughnessy
of the United States 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Elena Dementieva also rallied to beat Catalina Castano 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals
of the clay-court championship. The second-seeded Russian plays fifth-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the semifinals.
"It
was a long match," Dementieva said, after beating the Colombian in two hours 34 minutes. "I'm glad I survived against her
today."
Patty Schnyder of Switzerland withdrew from her match against Bondarenko because of a thigh injury, cutting
short her tuneup for Roland Garros.
Schnyder said she has suffered from pain in her right quadriceps since an earlier
round of the tournament.
"I need some rest," said Schnyder, who plans to play in the French Open on Sunday. "I don't
want to force it."
------=
Davydenko, Roddick eliminated in quarter-finals of Hypo Group
POERTSCHACH,
Austria (AP) -- Defending champion Nikolay Davydenko and second-seeded American Andy Roddick lost their quarter-final matches
Thursday at the Hypo Group International.
Davydenko fell to Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-4, and Roddick
lost to wild-card Gael Monfils of France 7-5, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Lleyton Hewitt advanced after defeating Diego Hartfield
of Argentina 6-2, 6-2. The Australian will play Monfils in the semifinals. Luis Horna of Peru beat Albert Montanes of Spain
7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-1.
Davydenko never found his rhythm against the 47th-ranked Monaco after trailing 4-0 in the first
set.
The top-seeded Russian still won a tight second set, but Monaco dominated the third and converted his first match
point.
"Monaco got off to a quick start which made it very hard to fight my way back into the match," Davydenko said.
"I was almost exhausted after winning the second set, and had not enough power left for the third."
Monfils, ranked
75th, combined eight aces with strong forehands and drop shots from the baseline against Roddick.
"Normally you win
the point when you hit the ball in a corner three times -- but not so against Monfils," Roddick said. "He's a great athlete
and seems to get every ball back."
The 20-year-old Frenchman is coming back after seven months out with foot and ankle
injuries.
"I am very happy with my performance this week -- it is a real confidence booster for me," Monfils said.
"I knew how to play Roddick as I beat him last year. I am tall and can reach a lot of his serves."
Monfils advanced
to his first semifinal since the ATP Masters Series in Rome in May, when he beat Roddick in the quarter-finals.
Roddick
was broken for the first time in the tournament while serving for the first set at 5-4. Another break by Monfils earned him
the opening set.
Roddick, who missed three break points in the first game of the second set, was broken in the next
game and received a warning for smashing his racket to the court.
Roddick missed two more chances on Monfils' serve
at 4-1 down.
Hewitt, meanwhile, broke Hartfield two times to build a 3-0 lead in the first set.
"It was very
important for me to start well and put him under immediate pressure," Hewitt said. "I just wouldn't allow him to play his
usual game."
Hartfield broke back once, but had few chances in the service games of Hewitt, who ended the match with
an ace on his first match point.
Sharapova Wins in Return
ISTANBUL, Turkey - World No.2 Maria Sharapova made a successful return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour after a seven week injury lay-off, when she defeated
Tsevetana Pironkova in straight sets at the Istanbul Cup on Tuesday. Another marquee name in the draw, Venus Williams, was also in action at the $200,000, Tier III event, easing past Tatiana Poutchek to take her place in the second round.
The day's only second round match saw the tournament's top seed Sharapova take on Bulgaria's Pironkova.
The Russian No.1, making her first appearance on Tour since recovering from shoulder and hamstring injuries, was far from
at her best against her teenage opponent, but she did just enough to take her place in the quarterfinals, recording a 64 76(1)
victory.
The Sharapova was erratic throughout, squandering a 5-3 second set lead and coming within two points
of being forced into a third set, before finally clinching the match on the tie-break. Nevertheless, as the 20-year-old Russian
has not hit a ball in anger since her round of 16 defeat in Miami, she was understandably pleased to have got her clay court season off to a winning start.
"I think considering that it was my first competitive match in 7-8 weeks and that I've just had one
of the biggest injuries of my career, it wasn't too bad." Sharapova said. "She's a very good player who's had some big wins
in her career, so it was a nice test for me."
No.4 seed Williams produced an altogether more convincing display in her first round victory over experienced
Belarusian Poutchek, requiring only 51 minutes to dispatch the 28-year-old and set up a second round meeting with Aravane Rezai. Williams has made a consistent start to the clay court season - reaching the semifinals and quarterfinals
at Charleston and Warsaw respectively - and with Roland Garros less than a week away, the 26-year-old American appears to be running into form at just the right time.
The world No.29 served magnificently throughout, failing to yield a single break point on her way to a commanding 61 62 victory.
"I'm obviously hoping to do well at Roland Garros, but right now my full concentration is on this tournament,"
Williamscsaid. "Every year I hope is my year. I've had great success in my career, so I'm going to use this experience to
have a lot more in the future."
Patty Schnyder was another seed to have an easy day's work on Tuesday, racing into the second round with a 61 61 victory
over Chan Yung-Jan. Such was the Swiss player's dominance, she allowed her 17-year-old opponent to win a mere 17 points in
the whole match and completed her demolition job in just 46 minutes.
"There aren't many times when you have an easy day like that, so I'll take it," Schnyder said. "I think
she was coming from playing on hard court, while I've been on clay for many weeks now, I've definitely got a lot of confidence
going into Roland Garros. I've had a good two weeks in Berlin and Rome, so I feel ready and I'm looking forward to going to Paris."
In the second round Schnyder will come up against another teenager in the form of Vania King, who defeated local wildcard entrant Ipek Senoglu 63 75 in her first-round match. The young American
started the match well, but despite taking the first set was never fully able to stamp her authority on proceedings and was
made to battle right until to the end by her lower-ranked opponent.
Monday also saw surprise first-round exits for No.6 seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld and No.8 Sania Mirza. Groenefeld has won only four matches this year and after losing the first set against Columbia's Catalina
Castaņo, the 21-year-old German quickly slipped to her 10th defeat of the season. Castaņo's reward for her 76(3) 62 win is
a second-round clash with Belorussia's Ekaterina Dzehalevich, who triumphed over fellow qualifier Anna Tatishvili, 63 75.
Mirza, like Sharapova, is on the comeback trail, but since returning from a right knee ligament injury
the Indian No.1 has failed to recapture the form that saw her reach two semifinals in the opening month of the season. Against
Meghann Shaughnessy, the 20-year-old once again looked rusty and after dropping a closely contested first set, she fell away
in the second to succumb to her second consecutive first-round defeat. Lying in wait for Shaughnessy in the next round is
Russian qualifier Ekaterina Afinogenova, who won a gripping encounter with Germany's Sandra Kloesel, 63 57 63.
The only other first-round match saw Latvian qualifier Anastasija Sevastova brush aside the challenge
of Belarusian Anastasiya Yakimova, 61 63. Meeting the 17-year-old in the next round will be the in-form No.5 seed Alona Bondarenko, in what promises to be just one of several fascinating clashes scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
In the doubles competition, top seeds Chan and Mirza got their title challenge off to the perfect start,
overcoming the all-Romanian duo of Sorana Cirstea and Agnes Szatmari, 63 61. Their quarterfinal opponents will be the German-Greek partnership of Kloesel and Anna Koumantou,
after they edged out Stella Menna and Kateryna Polunina 46 64 108 in a thrilling opening-round tussle.
On the other side of the draw an intriguing family versus family encounter was scheduled last out on
Court 1, as the Bondarenko sisters Alona and Kateryna were pitted against Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska. The first set certainly did not disappoint, with the two families serving up some wonderful tennis.
However, after dropping the opening set the Bondarenkos appeared to run out of steam and succumbed to their younger opponents
64 61, in little more than an hour.
The only other team to advance on Monday was the Australian duo of Casey Dellacqua and Christina Horiatopoulos, who benefited from the withdrawal of No.2 seeds King and Jelena Kostanic Tosic because of a strain in the American's lower back. (WTA)
Sharapova makes successful comeback in Istanbul
ISTANBUL: Russian top seed Maria Sharapova advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTA Istanbul tournament, defeating Tsvetana
Pironkova of Bulgaria in straight sets on Tuesday in her first match after nearly two months out through injury.
But
it was clear Sharapova, ranked number two in the world, was not yet in top form after a shoulder injury that has kept her
away from the courts since March. “It was a difficult match and I was not expecting much from myself because I just
came back from one of my worst injuries. But it was good to beat a good player,” said Sharapova. The 20-year-old won
the first set 6-4 as she attacked with ruthless well-placed shots and the unseeded Pirankova tried to hold on with some good
returns. Sharapova began the second and final set well, gaining a 5-2 advantage over her rival, but Pironkova fought back
to equalize at 6-6, only to lose 7-6 after a tie-breaker which the Russian won 7-1.
“I, of course, did not feel
100 percent. It was not my best performance,” Sharapova said. “But I hope I will get better as I play more games...And
I hope I will stay healthy.” In the quarter-finals, she will face the winner of the second round clash between Romina
Oprandi of Italy and seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Sharapova last played in March when she was thrashed 6-1,
6-1 in the Miami quarter-finals by Serena Williams. afp
Sharapova and Dolce Vamp for Canon
NEW
YORK—Canon will break two spots with tennis star Maria Sharapova tonight to support the PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH
camera.
The spots, “Banter” and “Dolce,” are part of a larger campaign
that also includes print, Internet and live activation at the French Open. Dentsu America, New York, is the lead agency. The
spots were directed by Joe Pytka.
The two spots follow Sharapova as she attempts to take photos
of her Pomeranian dog, Dolce, including chasing the pooch around a tennis court, her house and her pool. The spots will break
separately during 24, American Idol and on the MTV Music Awards. They will air together during the NBA
Finals and other cable shows. Print will hit newsstands in early June in publications including Entertainment Weekly,
People and Wired.
“This campaign shows a fun side of Maria and showcases
how much she enjoys using her Canon PowerShot digital camera to capture all her favorite moments,” Mike Wilson, chief
creative officer at Dentsu America, said in a statement.
Canon USA, Lake Success, N.Y., spends
about $25 million on media behind PowerShot, per TNS. The company is in the third year of a three-year, $6 million deal it
signed with Sharapova in 2004. Max Eisenbud at IMG, Cleveland, is Sharapova’s agent.
Pironkova advances to play Sharapova
ISTANBUL, Turkey- Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Olga Govortsova 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 Monday
to set up a second-round match against top-seeded Maria Sharapova in the Istanbul Cup.
Sharapova had a bye in the first round of the clay-court tournament that also features Venus Williams,
who is seeded fourth and is scheduled to face Tatiana Putchek in the first round.
Second-seeded Elena Dementieva also had a bye and will play Jelena Kostanic Tosic, who defeated Yaroslava
Shvedova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
Fifth-seeded Alona Bondarenko dropped only one game in defeating Pemra Ozgen of Turkey 6-1, 6-0, while
seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Ekaterina Bychkova 7-5, 7-5.
Sharapova to introduce the diamond racket
Russian
tennis player Maria Sharapova has arrived in Istanbul two days ago. Sharapova will introduce a Turkish hand made diamond racket
in Topkapı Palace tomorrow.
"Tennis is my whole life"
90 % of her income she earns from different organizations other than tennis. "Without
tennis you wouldn't have met the Maria in fashion magazines," says Sharapova.
SABAH interviewed with Maria Sharapova; Sony Ericsson WTA Tour 2007 participant. Sharapova, who
owns a personal website which she updates everyday told SABAH reporter that creating a website had helped her inform her fans
with correct information about her personal and professional life. "Reading my website help my fans better understand
me since the only place they see me is the tennis courts," said Sharapova. "With the help of online technology, I am now able
to show them what real Maria does in her everyday life, what she wears other than sportswear," she added.
"My life
is not something secret. I enjoy what normal people would enjoy other than playing tennis." Sharapova will introduce a
hand made diamond tennis racket at Topkapı Palace today. The racket valued $ 250 thousand will be given to a woman player
who wins the tournament three times in a row.
Maria Sharapova
in İstanbul for WTA tournament
World famous Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova arrived in İstanbul on Thursday to participate in
the Sony Ericsson WTA İstanbul Cup 2007 International tennis tournament. Organizers said that Sharapova's
father arrived in İstanbul on Wednesday, but the reigning US Open champion landed at the Atatürk Airport at 11:30 a.m.
Tennis star Venus Williams of the US and Elena Dementieva of Russia will also be participating in the event. The qualifying
matches will take place between May 19-20 in the tournament, where the real competition is set to take place between May 21-26
at the Tekstilkent Arena.
Sharapova won the prestigious Wimbledon
tennis tournament in 2004. Six feet tall, muscular and blonde, she turned pro in 2001 -- at the young age of 14. The tennis
prodigy and her father had moved to Florida from Russia when she was nine so that Sharapova could study at Nick Bollettieri's
tennis academy. Sharapova steadily worked her way up through the pro ranks, claiming her first WTA victory at the 2003 AIG
Japan Open. In the meantime, she took occasional modeling jobs, earning comparisons to Anna Kournikova. In 2004 Sharapova
stunned the tennis world by defeating defending champion Serena Williams in the singles finals at Wimbledon to win the prestigious
tournament at age 17. In 2006 she beat Justine Henin-Hardenne to win the US Open.
Maria Sharapova set to promote 2014 Sochi Olympics bid internationally
World's tennis star from Russia Maria Sharapova has set to promote internationally Olympics candidate
city of Sochi as key ambassador for Russia's bid.
Russia's Black Sea resort city of Sochi has been short-listed as a candidate city to host the 2014
Olympic Winter Games, along with Austria's Salzburg and South Korea's PyeongChang.
"I want people to learn about Sochi as much as possible," Sharapova said in an interview with Russia
Today TV Channel. "In the nearest future I will go on a world tour to tell everyone about the wonderful city of Sochi. I am
proud of my city."
Sharapova, the holder of two Grand Slam titles and former world's No 1, was born in Siberia in 1987
and two years later her family moved to Sochi, where she lived and practiced tennis for the next five years.
"I had to leave Sochi due to my career as there were no places for [tennis] practices during winter,"
she added.
Sochi previously bid for the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics, but was rejected largely due to its poor-quality
Soviet-era infrastructure. The winner of the bid will be announced in July 2007 in Guatemala City. - RIA Novosti
Shoulder woe for Sharapova
Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next week`s Italian Open because
of a right shoulder injury.
The 20-year-old Russian, who also missed the event last year
with a foot problem, has not played since competing in Miami in March.
The world number two told her official website, www.mariasharapova.com:
"I am going to have to pull out of Rome. My body is slowly getting better, but in no way will I be ready to play in Rome."
She added: "It is such a shame because I like playing in Rome
and I have to pull out two years in a row.
"I just want to let my fans know that I am doing everything
possible to be ready to play the French Open [beginning May 28]."
World number one Justine Henin did not enter the Italian Open,
leaving Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo as the top-ranked player for next week`s competition.
Keeping her priorities straight
Maria Sharapova has become an international icon at the tender age of 20, but
what she wants most right now is to be healthy and get back to the sport she loves. I caught up with her this week at the
Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., where she was practicing with her coach, Michael Joyce, and her father, Yuri.
"This is the second year in a row I am missing most of the clay court season," she said,
"and it is so frustrating not being able to get the matches I need heading into a Grand Slam. But right now I am just taking
it one day at a time and my priority is to just get healthy."
Maria is battling a nagging injury to her right shoulder, which has bothered her since
the beginning of the year. It has affected not only her serve, but also her patience. In talking to Maria, it is apparent
how much she loves competing and how much she misses the tension-filled atmosphere that surrounds every match she plays. In
stark contrast to many of her starlet predecessors, Maria craves the satisfaction of victory on the court more then adulation
off it.
That's not to say Maria doesn't enjoy the incredible access and opportunity that her
status allows her. She has a keen eye for fashion and enjoys the process of collaborating with Nike, the clothing sponsor
on her always-evolving line of dresses. She is personally responsible for bringing Nike from the sports pages to the fashion
magazines.
"It all started with the black dress I wore during the U.S. Open last year [which she
won incidentally]. I helped design that and everyone loved it, so I have continued to work with the Nike designers, and I
enjoy it so much."
Maria isn't the type of person who dreams small or lacks belief in herself, and rightfully
so. She is the first female tennis player to successfully transcend the athletic world for that of the fashion world. She
was recently the first female athlete on the cover of Teen Vogue, and who could forget her spread in last year's Sports
Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She was recently featured in a 10-page spread in the March edition of Vogue and was
named one of the "10 Best Dressed New Faces" by the magazine.
She designed the best-selling pink tennis bag for her tennis racket sponsor, Prince,
and the new edition of her bag will be debuting soon, as will her new Canon commercial. She also has a successful perfume
bearing her name, which she helped create. So you get the picture: This is one busy 20-year-old. She isn't just a tennis player;
she is a walking, talking, tennis ball-pounding corporation.
Aside from that, however, she personally updates her Web site, answers fans questions
and entertains her supporters with insightful and humorous information. Among the info, her "Dream Mixed Doubles Partner"
(John McEnroe, so she would have someone to yell at the umpires with!), "Favorite Spa" (Four Seasons Costa Rica), "Favorite
place she wants to go but hasn't been"(Maldives) and "Favorite Movie" (Something's Gotta Give)."
Maria's "Weekly Doodles" give her fans access and insight into her life, which sometimes
is as simple as practicing and sometimes as spectacular as shooting commercials or attending fashion shows. Suffice to say,
she makes the extra effort to let people into her life, giving them the opportunity to know her on and off court.
However what Maria wants everyone to know the most is that, "Tennis is my priority.
I am very aware that I get to do a lot of other fun and exciting things because of my tennis, but it is tennis that I love
the most, and I will never lose sight of that."
And that is exactly what her fans want to hear. Get healthy soon, Maria. Hope to see
you in Paris.
Sharapova doubtful for French Open
Maria Sharapova is a major doubt for the French Open which begins at Roland
Garros later this month after announcing her withdrawal from next week's Italian Open through a niggling shoulder injury.
World No 2 Sharapova, who missed this week's Qatar Telecom German Open here
in Berlin because of the problem sustained in Miami in March, promised to do all she could to make the Paris line-up but the
odds are clearly against her after two months' inactivity.
The 2004 Wimbledon champion and current US Open title holder said: "I just
want my fans to know that I am doing everything possible to play at the French Open. My body is slowly getting better but
there is no way I will be ready to play in Rome."
Martina Hingis, who came out of retirement 18 months ago, yesterday became
the fourth woman to break through the $20 million prize money barrier after a stuttering start to her challenge to win a second
Berlin title.
The Swiss would by now have surpassed the all-time record holder Steffi
Graf, whose on-court earnings were a staggering $21,895,277, but for being forced off court for three years because of lingering
foot problems.
Hingis, still only 26, maintains that she still has the ability to rule
the world again, but her form in her second year back on tour suggests that she will fall short in her quest to win a sixth
grand slam title eight years after her fifth. Her laboured 7-5, 7-6 victory over Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko was only her
sixth in her last five tournaments and that could easily have been denied her by an opponent ranked 67 in the world. Bondarenko
held three set points to draw level and Hingis admitted that she did not feel too optimistic about going into a decider.
Hingis, who has been undergoing treatment for a variety of ailments lately,
reflected: "Any victory is worthwhile, although I was feeling a bit tired out there and did not want a third set. But I am
here to fight another day."
That will be this afternoon's testing third-round match against her compatriot
Patty Schnyder, the 15th seed, who might have had greater reason to complain about fatigue after resuming her first-round
match yesterday lunchtime after being rained off on Tuesday and then returning for her second-round engagement a couple of
hours later.
She required less than an hour's playing time, however, to see off Italy's
Roberta Vinci and Virginia Ruano Pascual, of Spain. Daniela Hantuchova, meanwhile, lost to Czech qualifier Zuzana Ondraskova.
Maria Sharapova wants to take shot at designing!
London, May 3 (ANI): Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova has a secret dream, which is not
winning all the four Grand Slams, but to try her hand at designing clothes.
The 20-year-old Russian Tennis star said that she wants to launch her own apparel line.
“My dream is to have my own clothing line,” the Daily Express quoted her,
as saying.
Maria Sharapova Š AFP/File
However, the robust sportswoman doesn't support the size 0 trend.
Sharapova said that when she attended LA fashion shows, she was shocked to see emaciated
models who looked like they were going to ‘break’.
“I never realized the super-skinny thing was a reality until I started going to
fashion shows in LA. I see the girls step onto the runway and think, 'Poor things!' They look as if they're about to break,”
she added. (ANI)
ROME (AP) -Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Italian Open due to a right shoulder injury.
The second-ranked Russian hasn't played since losing to Serena Williams in the fourth round of the
Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in March. She also pulled out of Rome last year with a foot problem.
Organizers made the announcement Wednesday, five days before the tournament is scheduled to start.
Top-ranked Justine Henin did not enter, leaving No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo as the top player. Mauresmo is a two-time Rome champion
and a five-time finalist.
Seventh-ranked Martina Hingis is expected to defend her title
ISTANBUL: Russian top seed Maria Sharapova advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTA Istanbul tournament, defeating Tsvetana
Pironkova of Bulgaria in straight sets on Tuesday in her first match after nearly two months out through injury. 
Organizers said that Sharapova's
father arrived in İstanbul on Wednesday, but the reigning US Open champion landed at the Atatürk Airport at 11:30 a.m.
Tennis star Venus Williams of the US and Elena Dementieva of Russia will also be participating in the event. The qualifying
matches will take place between May 19-20 in the tournament, where the real competition is set to take place between May 21-26
at the Tekstilkent Arena.
Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next week`s Italian Open because
of a right shoulder injury.
