Maria Yuryevna Sharapova

Nickname(s)	Masha
Country	Russia
Residence	Bradenton, Florida, U.S.
Date of birth	April 19, 1987 (1987-04-19) (age 21)
Place of birth	Nyagan, Soviet Union
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight	59.1 kg (130 lb/9.31 st)[1]
Turned pro	April 19, 2001
Plays	Right-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money	US$12,122,252
Singles
Career record:	304-70
Career titles:	19
Highest ranking:	1 (August 22, 2005)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open	W (2008)
French Open	SF (2007)
Wimbledon	W (2004)
US Open	W (2006)
Major tournaments
Masters Cup	W (2004)
Doubles
Career record:	23-16
Career titles:	3
Highest ranking:	41 (June 14, 2004)
Infobox last updated on: June 9, 2008. Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Bradenton is a city located in Manatee County, Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Coat of arms of Nyagan Nyagan (Russian: ) is a town in the north-western part of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, situated near the Ob River. ... Kg redirects here. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... USD redirects here. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... Main article: 2007 French Open // Defending champion: Justine Henin Chokes & Comebacks -Meghann Shaughnessy was up 5-0, 40-0, returning serve in the 1st set against Svetlana Kuznetsova. ... The Championships, Wimbledon (commonly referred to as Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis championship in the world. ... The results, starting from the fourth round, of the Womens Singles Competition at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, which started on Monday June 21, 2004 on Wimbledon Park in London. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... // Seeds The seeded players are listed below. ... The Tennis Masters Cup is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the mens tennis world rankings. ... The results of the 2004 WTA Tour Championships held in Los Angeles, United States. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова^{?· i}, Mariâ Ûr′evna Šarapova; born April 19, 1987) is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player. As of July 7, 2008, she is ranked World No. 3. Image File history File links Maria_sharapova. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, at the age of 17, she defeated Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final. She has since won the 2006 US Open, defeating Justine Henin in the final, and the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Ana Ivanovic in the final. Sharapova has been ranked in the top ten since winning Wimbledon in 2004, the longest run of any current female tennis player.^[2] During the 12 months ending June 2007, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.^[3] For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in womens doubles. ... List of the 2004 Wimbledon Champions: // Seniors Mens singles Main article: 2004 Wimbledon Championships - Mens Singles Roger Federer (SUI) def. ... The 2006 US Open began 28 August and finished on 10 September 2006. ... Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ... The 2008 Australian Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 14 January through 27 January 2008. ... Ana Ivanovic (Serbian: Ана Ивановић, Ana Ivanović, pronounced ,   born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She is currently coached by her father, Yuri Sharapov, and former player Michael Joyce. Michael Joyce (born February 1, 1973 in Santa Monica, California) is a former tennis player from the United States, who turned professional in 1991. ...

Playing style

Sharapova has been labeled a power baseliner by tennis observers, with excellent power, depth, and angles on her groundstrokes,^[4] which are particularly effective on hard and grass courts.^{[citation needed]} Her double-handed backhand is generally regarded as her more penetrating and more reliable wing.^{[citation needed]} While she is also known to generate many winners from her forehand, it is occasionally known to break down when she is not serving well and produce errors.^[5] She is not a traditional volleyer, instead preferring to use a powerful "swinging" volley for net approaches. This also occurs when it comes to attacking a lob as she she usually uses a powerful volley instead of an overhead smash.^[6] and critics also claim that, for her height, Sharapova has good on-court speed.^[4] At the 2008 Australian Open, observers noted that Sharapova appeared to have developed her game, showing improved movement and footwork and having added the drop shot and the sliced backhand to her repertoire of shots.^[7] Hardcourt describes a form of surface or floor on which a sport is played. ... A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court. ... The 2008 Australian Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 14 January through 27 January 2008. ... A drop shot in tennis is tapping the ball just over the net so that the opponent is unable to run fast enough to retrieve it. ...

Sharapova's game is not as well-suited to clay courts as it is to other surfaces.^[8] Her flat shots are less effective as her opponent often has sufficient time to reach her shots.^{[citation needed]} In addition, Sharapova lacks confidence in her ability to move on clay,^[8] largely because she appears uncomfortable sliding,^[8] and she herself once described herself as like a "cow on ice" on clay.^[8] Her limitations on the surface are reflected in her career results, as she did not win a WTA tour title on clay until April 2008 (despite having won 18 titles on other surfaces) and because the French Open is the only Grand Slam singles title she has not yet won. The Womens Tennis Association, formed in 1973, is the principal organizing body of womens professional tennis. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... For other uses, see Grand Slam. ...

Sharapova's first and second serve is generally considered powerful.^[4] This means the serve often produces an ace or a service winner or results in a weak reply from her opponent, which allows Sharapova to take control of the rally immediately. However, a serious shoulder injury during early 2007 reduced the effectiveness of Sharapova's serve for several months, as she routinely produced eight to ten double faults in many of her matches during this period.^[9] She later changed her service motion to a more compacted backswing (as opposed to her traditional elongated backswing) in an attempt to put less stress on her shoulder,^[10] but she nevertheless periodically experienced problems with her serve throughout the rest of the year, most notably producing 12 double faults in her third-round loss at the 2007 U.S. Open.^[11] Her serve appeared to be more effective at the 2008 Australian Open, as she produced just 17 double faults throughout her full title run at the tournament.^[12] However, her serving problems resurfaced during the spring of 2008, as she produced 43 double faults in just four matches at the 2008 French Open^[13] and eight double faults in her second round loss at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships.^[14] Observers, including Tracy Austin, believe that when Sharapova experiences problems with her serve, she often loses confidence in the rest of her game, and as a result, produces many unforced errors and plays generally more tentatively.^[5] 2007 U.S. Open may refer to: Golf: 2007 U.S. Open Golf Championship Tennis: 2007 U.S. Open (tennis) Category: ... The 2008 Australian Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 14 January through 27 January 2008. ... The 2008 French Open will be the second Grand Slam event of the year. ... The 2008 Wimbledon Championships is a tennis tournament played on grass courts. ... Tracy Ann Austin Holt (b. ...

Sharapova is one of several current top players, including Venus and Serena Williams, who are renowned for loud on-court "grunting."^[15] Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ...

Career

Early life and career

Sharapova was born in 1987 to Yuri and Yelena, ethnic Russians in the town of Nyagan in Siberia, Russia. Previously her parents had lived in Gomel, Belarus, but were compelled to move after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.^[16] Coat of arms of Nyagan Nyagan (Russian: ) is a town in the north-western part of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, situated near the Ob River. ... Homel (Belarusian and Russian: Гомель, Gomeľ; Yiddish: , Homl), also known as Gomel, is the second-largest city of Belarus and the main city of Homel Province. ... The nuclear power plant at Chernobyl prior to the completion of the sarcophagus. ...

When Maria was two, the family moved to Sochi. There, Yuri befriended the father of the eventual men's Grand Slam champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov.^[17] Yevgeny's father is responsible for giving Maria her first tennis racket, at the age of four, and subsequently Maria and her father began regular practices in the local park.^[18] At the age of six, Maria attended a tennis clinic in Moscow run by Martina Navratilova. Navratilova noted Maria was talented but required professional training, recommending the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.^[19] Yuri and Maria, neither of whom could speak English, move to Florida in 1994. Because of visa restrictions, Yelena could not originally move with them, though she eventually joined them two years later.^[16] Yuri took a variety of jobs in order to fund Maria's lessons. Maria, until the age of 12, was transported to the Academy each day on the handlebars of Yuri's bicycle as they could not afford any other method of transport. In an interview she also described sleeping "in little cots for three years, eating oatmeal out of a packet while playing in the middle of nowhere for nothing."^[20] Maria developed rapidly at the Academy and began playing junior tournaments. Sochi (Russian: , IPA: [soʨɪ]) is a Russian resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border. ... For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov (born 18 February 1974; Russian: , yev-GHE-neey KAH-fill-nee-coff) is a former World No. ... Martina Navratilova (born October 18, 1956, in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a former World No. ... The Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA) is located in Bradenton, Florida, and was founded in 1978 by Nick Bollettieri as a full-time tennis boarding school that combines intensive tennis training with an academic curriculum. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Entry visa valid in Schengen treaty countries. ...

Sharapova turned professional in 2001, although she played a total of just two WTA tournaments in 2001 and 2002 plus six challenger events. She became the youngest girl to reach the final at the junior Australian Open in 2002, and repeated this feat at Wimbledon later in the same year. She also won three titles on the ITF Circuit and played her first matches on the main WTA Tour, including winning a match at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California. The Womens Tennis Association, formed in 1973, is the principal organizing body of womens professional tennis. ... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... Wimbledon logo The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply Wimbledon, is the oldest and arguably most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, California The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held at Indian Wells, California. ... Indian Wells is a city located in Riverside County, California, in the Palm Springs area, in between Palm Desert and La Quinta. ...

2003

Sharapova started playing tour events full-time in 2003. She won three qualifying matches at both the Australian Open and the French Open in order to reach the main draw, although she subsequently lost in the first round in both events. Later in the year, she was awarded a wildcard into the main draw at Wimbledon. She lost in the fourth round to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, having defeated the 21st seed and the 11th seed in the first and third rounds respectively. In October, Sharapova won her first title at the Tier III tournament in Tokyo, and then won her second Tier III tournament four weeks later in Quebec City. She finished the year at World No. 32 and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year. List of the 2003 Australian Open Champions: // Mens Singles Andre Agassi (USA) d Rainer Schüttler (GER), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 Womens Singles Serena Williams (USA) d. ... List of the 2003 French Open champions: // Seniors Mens singles Main article: 2003 French Open - Mens Singles Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) def. ... List of the 2003 Wimbledon Champions: // Seniors Mens Singles Roger Federer1 (SUI) d. ... Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic:  ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. ... The AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. ... The Bell Challenge is a tennis tournament held in Quebec City, Canada. ...

2004

Sharapova winning her first grand slam in 2004 Wimbledon

Sharapova started the year by reaching the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to seventh-seeded Anastasia Myskina 6–4, 1–6, 6–2. In each of her next six tournaments, Sharapova lost before the quarterfinals, except in Memphis, where she reached the semifinals. Her results meant that she rose into the Top 20 on the rankings. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1392 KB) Maria Sharapova at the Wimbledon tournament, 2004. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1392 KB) Maria Sharapova at the Wimbledon tournament, 2004. ... List of the 2004 Wimbledon Champions: // Mens Singles Roger Federer (SUI) d. ... List of the 2004 Australian Open Champions: // Mens Singles Marat Safin (RUS) b. ... Anastasia Andreyevna Myskina (Анастасия Мыскина; in Russian pronounced //) (born July 8, 1981, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup are tennis tournaments held in Memphis, Tennessee. ...

Sharapova reached the quarterfinals of her first career Grand Slam singles tournament at the French Open, losing to Paola Suárez 6–1, 6–3. She then won the third title of her career in Birmingham on grass, defeating Tatiana Golovin to win the title. For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... List of the 2004 French Open Champions: Mens Singles Gastón Gaudio1 (ARG) d. ... Paola Suárez (born June 23, 1976 in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina) was a top 10 tennis player in the early 2000s. ... DFS Classic is a Tier III tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. ... Tatiana Golovin (born 25 January 1988) is a French professional tennis player. ...

The 17-year-old Sharapova went into Wimbledon as the thirteenth seed. She reached her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she defeated Ai Sugiyama 5–7, 7–5, 6–1. She then succeeded in completing an upset against the fifth-seed and former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals 2–6, 7–6, 6–1. Her opponent in the final was two-time defending champion Serena Williams, with Williams an overwhelming favorite because of her experience and higher seeding. However, Sharapova caused a major upset by defeating Williams 6–1, 6–4, to become the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis), the first Russian to win the tournament and the lowest seed to win the women's event at the time. The win also meant that Sharapova earned a top ten ranking for the first time. List of the 2004 Wimbledon Champions: // Seniors Mens singles Main article: 2004 Wimbledon Championships - Mens Singles Roger Federer (SUI) def. ... Ai Sugiyama (Japanese: 杉山愛 Sugiyama Ai, born July 5, 1975, Yokohama, Japan) is a Japanese professional tennis player. ... Lindsay Ann Davenport (born June 8, 1976 in Palos Verdes, California) is a former World No. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in womens doubles. ... Charlotte Lottie Dod (24 September 1871 – 27 June 1960) was an English sportswoman best known as a tennis player. ... Martina Hingis (born September 30, 1980 in KoÅ¡ice, Slovakia) is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. ...

Sharapova failed to reach the semifinals of her three warm-up events for the US Open. She would eventually lose in the third round to two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce 4–6, 6–2, 6–3. Sharapova would rebound in the autumn to win her third and fourth titles of the year in two consecutive weeks; first in Seoul, South Korea, and then in Tokyo. She reached her first Tier I final in Zurich, where she lost to Alicia Molik. Sharapova ended the year by winning the WTA Tour Championships, defeating an injured Serena Williams 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 in the final, after being down 4–0 in the final set. List of the 2004 US Open Champions: Mens Singles Roger Federer (SUI) b. ... Mary Pierce (born on January 15, 1975, in Montreal, Canada) is a French-American womens professional tennis player on the WTA and one of the leading women in professional sports with multiple Grand Slam tennis championships to her name. ... The Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Seoul, South Korea. ... The AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. ... The Zurich Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every winter in Zurich, Switzerland. ... Alicia Molik (born 27 January 1981) is a professional female tennis player from Australia. ... The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Womens Tennis Association (WTA) tour. ...

Sharapova finished 2004 ranked World No. 4 and was the second-ranked Russian (behind Myskina). She won five titles during the year, trailing only Davenport's seven and equaling Justine Henin's total, and she topped the prize winnings list for the year. Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ...

2005

Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005.

Sharapova started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she held match points but was ultimately defeated by eventual champion Serena Williams 2–6, 7–5, 8–6. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2133x1511, 1675 KB) Summary Description: Maria Sharapova practicing in Indian Wells, California, USA, in 2005, on a side court. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2133x1511, 1675 KB) Summary Description: Maria Sharapova practicing in Indian Wells, California, USA, in 2005, on a side court. ... List of the 2005 Australian Open Champions: // Seniors Mens Singles Marat Safin (RUS) d. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in womens doubles. ...

In February, Sharapova won her first Tier I event in Tokyo, and went on to win in Doha three weeks later. On the rankings, she began to catch up with top-ranked Lindsay Davenport^[21]. However, in the semifinals of Indian Wells, she lost to Davenport 6–0, 6–0, the heaviest loss ever for a Top 3 player. She then reached the final in Miami, losing to Kim Clijsters. The WTA Tier I tournaments are ten Womens Tennis Association (WTA) tennis tournaments held throughout the year in various locations around the world, chiefly in Europe and North America. ... The Toray Pan Pacific Open(東レ・パン・パシフィック・テニス) is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1984 on indoor carpet courts in Tokyo, Japan. ... The Qatar Total Open is a tennis tournament held in Doha, Qatar. ... Lindsay Ann Davenport (born June 8, 1976 in Palos Verdes, California) is a former World No. ... The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California. ... The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held at Key Biscayne, in Miami, Florida. ... Clijsters redirects here. ...

The best result of Sharapova's clay season was a run to the semifinals in Rome, losing to Patty Schnyder. At the French Open, Sharapova lost in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, falling to Justine Henin-Hardenne, the eventual champion. The Rome Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. ... Patty Schnyder (born December 14, 1978, Basel) is professional female tennis player. ... List of the 2005 French Open Champions: // Seniors Mens Singles Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. ... Justine Henin ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is the current World No. ...

On grass, Sharapova successfully defended her Birmingham title, defeating Jelena Jankovic in the final to extend her winning streak on grass to 19 matches. Attempting to defend her Wimbledon title, she reached the semifinals without losing a set, but then lost to Venus Williams, the eventual champion, 7–6, 6–1. A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court. ... DFS Classic is a Tier III tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. ... Jelena Janković (February 28, 1985) is a Serbian professional female tennis player. ... List of the 2005 Wimbledon Champions: // Main article: 2005 Wimbledon Championships - Mens Singles Matthew Park] defeated [[Roger Federer ]] 6-2 7-6(7-2) 6-4 Main article: 2005 Wimbledon Championships - Womens Singles Venus Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport 4-6 7-6(7-4) 9-7 [1] Main... Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ...

Davenport, who remained the World No. 1, injured her back in the Wimbledon final, preventing her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the U.S. hard-court season of 2004. Although Sharapova also played very few tournaments in this time due to injury, she had fewer points to defend than Davenport, and therefore rose to the World No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005, becoming the first Russian woman to hold the position. Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in New Haven. The US Open Series is the eight-week summer tennis season linking 10 major ATP Tour and The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournaments to the U.S. Open. ... Pilot Pen Tennis is a professional tennis tournament held in New Haven, U.S.. Held since 1990 its the tradional tournament just a week before the beginning of the fourth and last Grand Slam tournament of the season: the U.S. Open. ...

At the US Open, Sharapova was the top seed but lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Clijsters, meaning she had lost to the eventual champion in all four Grand Slam events of 2005. Nevertheless, the points she accumulated at the US Open meant that she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the World No. 1 ranking on September 12, 2005, retaining it for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the Zurich Open. To conclude the year, Sharapova failed to defend her title at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Amelie Mauresmo. List of the 2005 US Open Champions, the top seeds and important highlights of the tournament: // See also: Drawsheet Roger Federer (SUI) def. ... For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... The Zurich Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every winter in Zurich, Switzerland. ... The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Womens Tennis Association (WTA) tour. ... Am lie Mauresmo (born 5 July 1979) is a French professional tennis player. ...

Sharapova finished the year ranked fourth again but as the top-ranked Russian for the first time. She won three titles during the year and was the only player in 2005 to reach three Grand Slam semifinals.

2006

At the Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Justine Henin-Hardenne 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, the only match of the year that Sharapova lost after winning the first set. She claimed her first title of 2006 and eleventh of her career at the Tier I tournament in Indian Wells, defeating Elena Dementieva in the final, and then reached the final in Miami, though was defeated by Svetlana Kuznetsova. Tim Henman and Dmitry Tursonov playing on the Margaret Court Arena in the first round. ... Justine Henin ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is the current World No. ... The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California. ... Elena Vyacheslavovna Dementieva (pronounced: L-e-nuh de-MENT-ye-vuh Russian:  ); born October 15, 1981, Moscow), is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held at Key Biscayne, in Miami, Florida. ... Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic:  ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. ...

Sharapova participated at the French Open without having played any of the clay court tune-ups because of injury. 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 before losing 18 of the match's last 21 points. In the mens quarter finals David Nalbandian won his match against Nikolay Davydenko The 2006 French Open (Roland Garros) was held in Paris, France from May 28 to June 11, 2006. ... Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open. ... Mashona Washington (b. ... Safina at the 2007 Australian Open. ...

An attempt to add a third successive Birmingham title to her collection failed for Sharapova as she lost in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson. At Wimbledon, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, losing to eventual champion and World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, her fifth consecutive defeat in a Grand Slam semifinal. DFS Classic is a Tier III tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. ... Jamea Jackson (born September 7, 1986), is a female American tennis player. ... The Wimbledon Championships 2006 began on 26 June and will finish on 9 July 2006. ... Am lie Mauresmo (born 5 July 1979) is a French professional tennis player. ...

Sharapova claimed her second title of 2006 at the Tier I event in San Diego, defeating top-seeded Kim Clijsters for the first time in the final. As the third seed at the US Open, Sharapova reached the quarterfinals without losing a set, before defeating Tatiana Golovin 7–6, 7–6 in the quarterfinals. She then defeated Mauresmo in a semifinal 6–0, 4–6, 6–0, and in her second Grand Slam final, she prevailed over second-ranked Henin-Hardenne 6–4, 6–4 to win her second Grand Slam singles title, having dropped just one set en route. The Acura Classic is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every summer at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. ... Clijsters redirects here. ... The 2006 US Open began 28 August and finished on 10 September 2006. ... Tatiana Golovin (born 25 January 1988) is a French professional tennis player. ... For other uses, see Grand Slam. ...

In the autumn, Sharapova won the tournaments in Zurich (defeating Daniela Hantuchová in the final) and Linz (defeating Nadia Petrova in the final) in consecutive weeks. At the WTA Tour Championships, she won all three of her round-robin matches in straight sets to extend her winning streak to 19 matches, but then lost to eventual champion Henin-Hardenne. The Zurich Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every winter in Zurich, Switzerland. ... Daniela Hantuchová (pronounced , roughly HAHN-too-khoh-vah; (born April 23, 1983 in Poprad, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) is a Slovak professional tennis player. ... The Generali Ladies Linz presented by Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberosterreich is a tennis tournament held in Linz, Austria. ... Nadia Petrova (pee-TROH-vuh; Russian:  , Nadézhda Petróva; born June 8, 1982, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... The 2006 WTA Tour Championships will be held in Madrid, Spain. ...

Sharapova finished the year at number two and, for the second year, as the top Russian player. During the year, she won five titles (second only to Henin-Hardenne's six), including three Tier I titles, more than any other player.

2007

Maria Sharapova at the 2007 Australian Open

As the top seed at the Australian Open (due to top-ranked Justine Henin's withdrawal), Sharapova came within two points from defeat in the first round against 62nd-ranked Camille Pin, but ultimately won 6–3, 4–6, 9–7. In the semifinals, Sharapova defeated fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters to reach her first Australian Open final and gain the opportunity to win the only Grand Slam singles title that a Russian woman had not yet won. However, Serena Williams, ranked 81st, overpowered Sharapova 6–1, 6–2 in the final. Reaching the final allowed Sharapova to recapture the World No. 1 ranking, which she held for seven weeks until a fourth-round loss at Indian Wells. In Miami, Sharapova was defeated again by Williams (6–1, 6–1). The 2007 Australian Open was a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 15 January through 28 January 2007. ... Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ... Camille Pin (1981 - ) is a French tennis player. ... Clijsters redirects here. ... For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in womens doubles. ... The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California. ... The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held at Key Biscayne, in Miami, Florida. ...

A shoulder injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay court season for the second consecutive year, and played just one low-level tournament on clay in the lead-up to the French Open. However, she reached the semifinals there for the first time in her career (saving a match point against Patty Schnyder in the fourth round), but then fell to Ana Ivanovic 6–2, 6–1. Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open. ... The 2007 French Open (Roland Garros) was held in Paris, France from 27 May through to 10 June 2007. ... Patty Schnyder (born December 14, 1978, Basel) is professional female tennis player. ... Ana Ivanovic (Serbian: Ана Ивановић, Ana Ivanović, pronounced ,   born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. ...

On grass in Birmingham, Sharapova reached only her second final of the year, but lost to second-seeded Jelena Jankovic. At Wimbledon, Sharapova lost to eventual champion Venus Williams in the fourth round 6–1, 6–3. A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court. ... DFS Classic is a Tier III tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. ... Jelena Janković (February 28, 1985) is a Serbian professional female tennis player. ... The 2007 Wimbledon Championships will be held between 25 June and 8 July 2007. ... Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ...

Sharapova won her first title of the year in San Diego, defeating Schnyder in the final. This was the main reason for her clinching the US Open Series for the first time. Seeded second at the US Open, Sharapova won her first two matches with the loss of only two games but then lost her third round match to 18-year-old Pole Agnieszka Radwańska in three sets, having committed 12 double faults and 49 unforced errors.^[11] It was Sharapova's earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since she lost in the same round at the tournament in 2004. The Acura Classic is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every summer at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. ... The US Open Series is the six-week summer tennis season linking 10 ATP Tour and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournaments together. ... 2007 U.S. Open may refer to: Golf: 2007 U.S. Open Golf Championship Tennis: 2007 U.S. Open (tennis) Category: ... Agnieszka Roma RadwaÅ„ska ( ) (born 6 March 1989) is a Polish tennis player. ... List of the 2004 U.S. Open Champions: // Main article: 2004 U.S. Open - Mens Singles Roger Federer (SUI) def. ...

Sharapova did not play again for six weeks after after the US Open. On her return in Moscow, she lost her opening match to Victoria Azarenka, before withdrawing from events in Zurich and Linz. These losses and withdrawals meant that she fell out of the top five on the rankings for the first time in three years, and she was awarded qualification to the WTA Tour Championships only because Venus Williams withdrew from the tournament. She won all her round-robin matches, including a 6–1, 6–2 win over Ivanovic, before defeating Anna Chakvetadze in the semifinals. In the final, Sharapova lost to World No. 1 Henin 5–7, 7–5, 6–3 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes, the 12th longest tour match during the open era.^[22] The Kremlin Cup (Russian: ) is an annual tennis tournament held in every autumn at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. ... -1... The Zurich Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every winter in Zurich, Switzerland. ... The Generali Ladies Linz presented by Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberosterreich is a tennis tournament held in Linz, Austria. ... The 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships will be held in Madrid, Spain on November 6-11, 2007. ... Anna Chakvetadze (last named proncounced chuck-veh-tud-zeh) (born March 5, 1987, Moscow, Russia) is a professional female tennis player from Russia. ... The Open Era in tennis began in 1968, when the Grand Slam events such as the Wimbledon Championships abandoned the longstanding rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. ...

Sharapova ended the year ranked World No. 5, the fourth consecutive year that she finished in the top five. However, for the first time since 2004, she did not finish the year as the top ranked Russian (the honor instead being held by Svetlana Kuznetsova). Sharapova also won just one title (at San Diego), the first time she had failed to win at least two titles since 2002 (when she played just three WTA matches). Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic:  ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. ...

2008

Sharapova playing for Russian Fed Cup team against Israel in 2008

As the fifth seed at the Australian Open (her lowest seeding at a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 2004 U.S. Open), Sharapova progressed to the quarterfinals without dropping a set, defeating former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport en route. She then defeated World No. 1 Justine Henin 6–4, 6–0, ending her 32-match winning streak, before reaching her second consecutive Australian Open final after she defeated an injured Jelena Jankovic 6–3, 6–1 in the semifinals. She then defeated Ana Ivanovic in the final 7–5, 6–3, thus winning the tournament without dropping a set. The 2008 Australian Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 14 January through 27 January 2008. ... For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... List of the 2004 U.S. Open Champions: // Main article: 2004 U.S. Open - Mens Singles Roger Federer (SUI) def. ... Lindsay Ann Davenport (born June 8, 1976 in Palos Verdes, California) is a former World No. ... Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ... Jelena Janković (February 28, 1985) is a Serbian professional female tennis player. ... Ana Ivanovic (Serbian: Ана Ивановић, Ana Ivanović, pronounced ,   born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. ...

After the Australian Open, Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 matches, a run that included two wins on her Fed Cup debut and winning the Tier I tournament in Doha, defeating Vera Zvonareva in a three-set final. She was defeated for the first time in 2008 in the semifinals of Indian Wells by Svetlana Kuznetsova. Sharapova then withdrew from Miami, claiming a shoulder injury. The Fed Cup (until 1995 Federation Cup) is the most important tennis tournament for female national teams, very similar to the mens Davis Cup. ... The Qatar Total Open is a tennis tournament held in Doha, Qatar. ... Vera Igorevna Zvonareva (pronunciation: VEH-ruh zvon-a-RYOH-vuh, Russian: Вера Игоревна Звонарёва ( ), born September 7, 1984, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in the small city of Indian Wells, California. ... Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic:  ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. ... The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held at Key Biscayne, in Miami, Florida. ...

Sharapova progressed to the first clay court final of her career at the tournament in Amelia Island, Florida, where she defeated Dominika Cibulkova. In the third round, she had defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 7–6(3), 5–7, 7–6(1) in 3 hours and 27 minutes, her longest ever match.^[23] In Charleston, South Carolina the next week, Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals 7–5, 4–6, 6–1 after Sharapova had held a set point in the first set. This was her fourth consecutive loss to the American. Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open. ... The Bausch & Lomb Championships is a tennis tournament held in Amelia Island, Florida, United States. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anabel Medina Garrigues (born July 31, 1982, Valencia, Spain) is a Spanish female tennis player. ... The Family Circle Cup is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1973. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in womens doubles. ...

In May, Sharapova regained the World No. 1 ranking because of Henin's sudden retirement and subsequent removal from the rankings. She was consequently the top-seeded player at the French Open. In the first round, she defeated compatriot Evgeniya Rodina 6–1, 3–6, 8–6 after being two points from becoming the first female top seeded player in the open era to lose in the first round of this tournament. She ultimately lost to 13th seed and eventual runner-up Dinara Safina in a 2 hour, 52 minute fourth round match 6–7(6), 7–6(5), 6–2, after Sharapova had two match points at 5–3 in the second set. She lost the World No. 1 ranking as a result of this loss. The 2008 French Open will be the second Grand Slam event of the year. ... The Open Era in tennis began in 1968, when the Grand Slam events such as the Wimbledon Championships abandoned the longstanding rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. ... Safina at the 2007 Australian Open. ...

At Wimbledon, Sharapova was seeded third but lost in the second round to World No. 159 Alla Kudryavtseva, her earliest loss at the tournament. Sharapova now intends to play in Montreal, the Olympics, and the US Open.^[24] The Championships, Wimbledon (commonly referred to as Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis championship in the world. ... Alla Kudryavtseva (born November 3, 1987 in Moscow) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... The Canada Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. ... Tennis competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will be held from August 10 to August 17. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ...

Fed Cup participation

Sharapova's representation of Russia in the Fed Cup has been controversial. At the end of 2004, compatriot Anastasia Myskina stated she would stop playing for Russia if Sharapova joined.^[25] At the end of 2005, Sharapova stated she was now keen to make her Fed Cup debut^[26] and was set to play against Belgium in April 2006, but withdrew.^[27] The Fed Cup (until 1995 Federation Cup) is the most important tennis tournament for female national teams, very similar to the mens Davis Cup. ... Anastasia Andreyevna Myskina (Анастасия Мыскина; in Russian pronounced //) (born July 8, 1981, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ...

Sharapova later withdrew from ties against Spain in April 2007^[28] and against the United States in July 2007^[29] because of injuries. The latter withdrawal led to Russia's captain saying she would be "ineligible for selection" for the Fed Cup final in September.^[30] However, Sharapova attended the final, cheering from the sidelines and acting as a "hitting partner" in practices, resulting in some of her Russian teammates implying that she was attending only to enable her to play at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (rules state that players must have "shown commitment" to Fed Cup in order to play). Svetlana Kuznetsova said, "She said she wanted to be our practise partner but if you can't play how then can you practise?"^[31] Tennis competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will be held from August 10 to August 17. ... Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic:  ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. ...

Sharapova finally made her Fed Cup debut in February 2008, in Russia's quarterfinal tie against Israel. Sharapova won both her singles rubbers, against Tzipora Obziler and Shahar Peer, helping Russia to a 4-1 victory. Tzipora Obziler Hits A Forehand Tzipora Obziler (born April 19, 1973, in Givataym, Israel) is a professional tennis player. ... Shahar Peer (born May 1, 1987, Maccabim, Israel) is a professional female tennis player. ...

Record against other top players

As of May 19, 2008, Sharapova's win-loss record against certain players who have been ranked World No. 5 or higher is as follows:^[32] is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Elena Vyacheslavovna Dementieva (pronounced: L-e-nuh de-MENT-ye-vuh Russian:  ); born October 15, 1981, Moscow), is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... Daniela Hantuchová (pronounced , roughly HAHN-too-khoh-vah; (born April 23, 1983 in Poprad, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) is a Slovak professional tennis player. ... Anna Chakvetadze (last named proncounced chuck-veh-tud-zeh) (born March 5, 1987, Moscow, Russia) is a professional female tennis player from Russia. ... Lindsay Ann Davenport (born June 8, 1976 in Palos Verdes, California) is a former World No. ... Nadia Petrova (pee-TROH-vuh; Russian:  , Nadézhda Petróva; born June 8, 1982, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... Jelena Janković (February 28, 1985) is a Serbian professional female tennis player. ... Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic:  ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. ... Mary Pierce (born on January 15, 1975, in Montreal, Canada) is a French-American womens professional tennis player on the WTA and one of the leading women in professional sports with multiple Grand Slam tennis championships to her name. ... Ana Ivanovic (Serbian: Ана Ивановић, Ana Ivanović, pronounced ,   born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. ... Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ... Clijsters redirects here. ... Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ... Martina Hingis (born September 30, 1980 in KoÅ¡ice, Slovakia) is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. ... Anastasia Andreyevna Myskina (Анастасия Мыскина; in Russian pronounced //) (born July 8, 1981, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in womens doubles. ... Country: Australia Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 175 cm (5 9) Weight: 60 kg (132 lbs. ... Am lie Mauresmo (born 5 July 1979) is a French professional tennis player. ... Jennifer Marie Capriati (born March 29, 1976, in New York City) is a former World No. ... Monica Seles (born December 2, 1973) is a former world No. ...

Personal life

Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven but retains her Russian citizenship.^[33] She has a home in Manhattan Beach, California^[34] and in early 2008, purchased a penthouse apartment in Netanya, Israel.^[35] Location of Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1912-12-12 [2] Government  - Mayor Jim Aldinger [1] Area  - Total 10. ... Early morning in Netanya, Israel Netanya (Hebrew: נְתַנְיָה, Standard Hebrew NÉ™tanya) is a city in the Center District of Israel and is the capital of the Sharon plain. ...

On February 14, 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She is planning on traveling back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008.^[36] is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations global development network, is the largest multilateral source of development assistance in the world. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ... USD redirects here. ...

On-court tennis outfits

Sharapova is well known for designing her unique tennis outfits, especially for Grand Slam tournaments. Among her most memorable were her nighttime 2006 US Open dress, inspired by Audrey Hepburn's look from Breakfast at Tiffany's, her swan inspired white dress during the 2007 Wimbledon Championships and her 2007 US Open night dress, which was red and sequined with over 600 Swarovski crystals. For other uses, see Grand Slam. ... Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929) – January 20, 1993) was an English Academy Award-, Tony Award-, Grammy Award-, and Emmy Award-winning film and stage actress, fashion icon, and humanitarian. ... This article is about the 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn. ... The 2007 Wimbledon Championships were held between 25 June and 8 July 2007. ... The 2007 U.S. Open is being held from 27 August to 9 September 2007, at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York City. ... Swarovski crystal beads Swarovski Wattens Der Firmengründer Daniel Swarovski (1862 † 1956) Swarovskistraße Wattens September 2007 Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut lead crystal glass products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zürich, Switzerland.