Wimbledon 2006

 
1e Rnd beat Anna Smashnova ISR 6-2  6-0
2e Rnd beat Ashley Harkleroad USA 6-2 6-2
3e Rnd beat Amy Frazier USA 6-3 6-2
4e Rnd beat Flavia Pennetta ITA 7-6 3-6 6-3
QF beat Elena Dementieva RUS 6-2 6-4
SF lost Amelie Mauresmo FRA 3-6 6-3 2-6

Wimbledon 6 juli 2006

In een meeslepende halve finale is Maria er niet in geslaagd om van de als 1e geplaatste Amelie Mauresmo op Wimbledon te winnen.
Mauresmo won de 1e set met 6-3 en ook de tweede set leek al snel in haar voordeel te worden beslist,maar Maria kwam erg sterk terug en won de set met 6-3.
In de derde set liep Mauresmo snel uit naar 3-1 en slaagde Maria er niet in deze achterstand nog goed te maken.

Maria na de wedstrijd:
xe2x80x9cAfter every loss therexe2x80x99s disappointment but every loss teaches me a lot. There are a lot of things I need to improve to beat top players.
I look forward to coming back having worked on my weaknesses and playing her again, as well as the other top girls.


Teleurstelling !

She forced me to come in, forced me to hit a good approach shot and tried to make me hit a good volley and sometimes I just made sloppier errors from the approach shot.xe2x80x9d Maria readily admitted that Mauresmo had played well. xe2x80x9cShe served really good in the first set but when I got a good hit on it, I felt like I did a pretty good job xe2x80″ but I should have made her volley a little bit more.xe2x80x9d
I had many opportunities which just didnxe2x80x99t go my way,xe2x80x9d Maria admitted.

Wimbledon 4 juli 2006

Maria ondervond vanmiddag weinig tegenstand van Elena Dementieva en won vrij eenvoudig in 2 sets met 6-1 en 6-4.
Het was vooral eenrichtingsverkeer tot 4-1 in de 2e set toen Maria haar concentratie verloor en Elene weer meer zelfvertrouwen kreeg en terug kon komen tot 5-4.



Oorzaak concentratie verlies ?

Shocked tennis ace Maria Sharapova was forced to turn away when a streaker interrupted her Wimbledon quarter-final clash with Elena Dementieva in London.

The bashful former champion refused to look as the cheeky nudist bared all in front of her during the fourth game of the second set.

But smiling Dementieva, who lost the clash of the Russians, sneaked a peek at the dancing prankster for the few seconds he was on the court – before he was covered up by Wimbledon staff.


Het was echter niet genoeg en Maria kon op haar eigen service de partij winnend afsluiten en bereikte hiermee de halve finale.
Maria na de wedstrijd:
“I got off to a really good start and put a lot of pressure on her serves.I had a little bit of a let down in the second but I’m really happy to be in the semi-finals again.”

In deze halve finale zal ze spelen tegen de huidige # 1 van de wereld,Amelie Mauresmo.
De wedstrijd wordt als 2e partij op donderdag 6 juli gespeeld op Centre Court.Eerst komen Clijsters en Henin-Hardenne in actie,daarna volgen Maria en Amelie Mauresmo.
Good luck Maria !!

Wimbledon 3 juli 2006

Maria moest vanmiddag op een bloedheet Wimbledon alle zeilen bijzetten en tot het uiterste gaan om Flavia Pennetta van zich af te schudden.

Pas in de laatste en beslissende set kon Maria doorstoten en zodoende de kwartfinale bereiken.
Setstanden 7-6 3-6 en 6-3.

Maria na de wedstrijd:
You can never underestimate your opponent. I havenxe2x80x99t played her in a while but I did have a tough match against her a few years ago. I knew it wasnxe2x80x99t going to be easy.
She has beaten some top players and she has experience.
It was just up to me to do my job.

It wasnxe2x80x99t really how good or bad I played,she played extremely well and I had to dig deep.xe2x80x9d

In de kwartfinale zal ze haar landgenote Elena Dementieva ( # 8 WTA rankinglist ) ontmoeten.

Maria vanmiddag op “The Graveyard” tegen Flavia Pennetta

1 juli 2006

Geen enkele kans voor Amy Frazier,die alweer voor de 18e keer acief was op Wimbledon,maar tegen de keiharde groundstrokes van Maria niet bleek opgewassen en in 2 sets verloor ( 6-3 en 6-2 )
De Amerikaanse nummer 80 van de wereld mocht blij zijn dat Maria niet steeds haar concentratie kon vasthouden en daardoor toch nog 5 games kon winnen.

Maria na de wedstrijd over haar tegenstander:”I got a little bit confused – she’d hit a big serve then follow it up with a double fault.
It knocked me out of my rhythm.I had a good workout.
She’s a pretty solid grass-court player and I had to really work for the match. But that definitely makes me feel confident going into the fourth round.”

Komende maandag 3 juli treft Maria in de 4e ronde de 24 jarige Italiaanse Flavia Pennetta ( # 19 WTA rankinglist )
De wedstrijd wordt op court 2 gespeeld en start om 12.00

 

29 juni 2006

 

Maria Sharapova beats U.S. Harkleroad to advance at Wimbledon

source:MosNews

Maria Sharapova overpowered Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-2 in 67 minutes today to reach the third round at Wimbledon. The match was slightly tougher than her 51-minute 6-2, 6-0 win the previous day over Anna Smashnova.
The third-seeded Russian had too much power and consistency for the 76th-ranked American, who had reached the second round for only the first time in four attempts.
Maria Sharapova, her shriek-like grunts carrying beyond the Court 2 stands, took control by winning 14 of 16 points at one stretch in the first set. She finished with 27 winners and 12 unforced errors. Harkleroad, mostly on the defensive, had four winners and seven errors.
Maria saved a break point the only one she faced and needed five match points before she closed out the contest when Harkleroad sent a backhand wide.

Maria speelt zaterdag 1 juli als 3e ( na Agassi/Nadal en Wavrinka/Ancic ) op Centre Court tegen de 33 jarige Amerikaanse Amy
Frazier ( # 80 WTA rankinglist )

Wimbledon-2004                                      Wimbledon-2005

Wimbledon-2006

28 juni 2006

Maria heeft vrij eenvoudig de 2e ronde bereikt door Anna Smashnova in twee sets te verslaan ( 6-2 en 6-0 )
Maria na de wedstrijd :”I’m always excited to be playing on grass, I just love it out there.
“The first day, coming onto grass from clay, I love the feeling of how the ball bounces. I’m more excited about playing on grass than any other surface.”

In de 2e ronde ontmoet Maria de 21 jarige Ashley Harkleroad ( USA, # 76 WTA rankinglist ).Maria speelde dit jaar tijdens de Australian Open ook al tegen de Amerikaanse,en wist toen met 6-1 en 7-5 te winnen.

23 juni 2006
Vandaag werd het speelschema voor Wimbledon 2006 bekend .
De als 4e geplaatste Maria zal a.s. maandag 26 juni in de 1e ronde spelen tegen de 29 jarige Anna Smashnova ( ISR, # 40 WTA rankinglist )

DE EERSTE 10 GEPLAATSTE DEELNEMERS ZIJN (WTA RANKING): 1 Amelie MAURESMO (FRA) [1]2 Kim CLIJSTERS (BEL) [2]3 Justine HENIN-HARDENNE (BEL) [3]4 MARIA SHARAPOVA (RUS) [4 ]5 Svetlana KUZNETSOVA (RUS) [7]6 Venus WILLIAMS (USA) [12]7 Elena DEMENTIEVA (RUS) [8]8 Patty SCHNYDER (SUI) [10]9 Anastasia MYSKINA (RUS) [11]10 Nicole VAIDISOVA (CZE) [13]

Maria gefotografeerd op ” Wimbledon Party ” 2006

Advertentie

Headlines 2006

Bradenton, december 4, 2006

Hi everyone!
I am slowly recuperating from vacation in Costa Rica. It was so wonderful.
I did a lot of relaxing but a lot of activities too. It was a nice balance, and I even made it to the gym a few times.

Now I’m ready for the Holiday season and I am so excited to start shopping for presents! I have a very very long shopping list.
I hope I get it all done before the big day. My friends and family are going to be so excited about the things I have in mind for them.

I haven’t forgotten about my fans either! I’ve worked out a few special deals for you guys to take part in for your favorite tennis fans and maybe you can pick some stuff up for yourselves too!

25% off select Nike Merchandise
20% off my Calendar and Posters
20% off my Perfume

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your friends and family. Happy Holidays!

Maria


4 october 2006

Maria Sharapova Confirms Will Play for Russia in Fed Cup

Source: The Moscow News

U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova has made herself available for Russiaxe2x80x99s Fed Cup team for the first time, the 19-year-old said on her Web site on Tuesday.
Russia, champions in 2004 and 2005, play Spain in Moscow in April next year and the world number three said she expected to be involved.

Maria: xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x99m really excited to make my first appearance in the Fed Cup for my country and it is great to be playing the tie in Moscow,xe2x80x9d
xe2x80x9cHopefully, myself and the team will put up a strong showing against Spain, who have a good team.xe2x80x9d

Maria Sharapova always claimed she intended to play for Russia, although doubts were raised earlier this year when she opted out of the countryxe2x80x99s tie against Belgium in March.


11 september 2006
Een dag na haar overwinning in New York had Maria nog enkele opmerkelijke uitspraken voor de pers in petto:

Maria: “I know it’s hard for everyone to hear that I’m a normal girl,” “I have a career at 19 years old. I’ve never gone to a regular school, I’m not a social bunny, I don’t go babysitting to make an extra buck.

Quote:” I don’t go babysitting to make an extra buck ”

Well— I don’t AGREE Maria!!!


“At the end of the day, no matter how much money I’m making, what I’ve done in my career, no matter what cool cars or house I have, I’m still Maria. I’m still a normal girl that still enjoys life.”

Maria is door haar optreden in New York gestegen naar # 3 van de WTA rankinglist.

29 august 2006

Maria Sharapova Signs $25m Lifelong Deal with Prince
Source: The Moscow News

At the age of 19, Maria Sharapova is committing to a xe2x80x9clifetimexe2x80x9d of sponsoring the only tennis racket brand shexe2x80x99s used as a pro.
Sharapova and Prince Sports Inc. have agreed to an endorsement deal that will last until the end of her playing career and beyond, The Associated Press reported Monday.
The contract is worth about $25 million over the next 10 years, according to a person in the tennis industry who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the parties didnxe2x80x99t want the dealxe2x80x99s terms disclosed.
Sharapova will earn royalties from sales of various Prince products, and there are clauses tied to tournament appearances, success and rankings.
The contract succeeds the five-year deal Sharapova signed with Prince when she was 14 and is the latest step in the marketing of the 2004 Wimbledon champion. Itxe2x80x99s estimated that she earns between $23 million and $25 million annually, including sponsorships and prize money. Sharapovaxe2x80x99s off-court activities are managed by the same agency, IMG, that works with Tiger Woods.

xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x99ve been pretty good in the past balancing my time with my sponsors with my tennis, because I know my priority,xe2x80x9d Sharapova said at the National Tennis Center, where shexe2x80x99s scheduled to play her first-round match at the U.S. Open on Tuesday. xe2x80x9cAt the end of the day, what I love doing is competing, and thatxe2x80x99s where my heart is at: on center court.xe2x80x9d
But whatxe2x80x99s it like to be a global brand at an age when many are just out of high school?
xe2x80x9cVery awkward,xe2x80x9d Sharapova said. xe2x80x9cItxe2x80x99s weird, because there are a couple of sides of me. Therexe2x80x99s the Maria thatxe2x80x99s a tennis player. Therexe2x80x99s the Maria that is a normal girl. And therexe2x80x99s the Maria whoxe2x80x99s a businesswoman. And thatxe2x80x99s where the xe2x80x99Maria Sharapova brandxe2x80x99 comes into play. Ixe2x80x99ve been lucky to be associated with amazing companies that have given me experience about all that.xe2x80x9d
Within months of her victory at the All England Club at 17, Sharapova began signing multiyear, multimillion deals xe2x80″ with a camera company, with a cell phone company, with a company that launched her perfume. She has contracts with a watch company, a carmaker and a toothpaste brand. She recently launched a personal Web site.Sharapova is seeded third at the U.S. Open, where she reached the semifinals last year. Shexe2x80x99s made it to that stage at five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments as she bids to collect her second career major title.


18 august 2006


My site is launching soon!

Hi everyone!
I’m in NYC preparing for the U.S. Open and I wanted to let you know that my official site is launching this coming Monday, August 21st.

The site is going to have a lot of photos and videos you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. We’ll be keeping it up to date on all things going on in my life, both on and off the court.
There’s going to be a message board for you to connect with each other and lots of cool features like my Top 1O lists, Official Store, Wallpapers, Stats and my personal Doodles (rants & raves).

Make sure you help spread the word about my new site and I look forward to seeing you on-line.

Thanks for your support!

Maria


1 august 2006

Maria Sharapova Surpasses Beckham in List of Worldxe2x80x99s Richest Athletes
source: The Moscow News

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova has been named one of the worldxe2x80x99s top-earning international athletes.
Her income of $25.4 million has put her in the fourth position in a rating by Sports Illustrated magazine.Sharapovaxe2x80x99s income surpasses that of David Beckhamxe2x80x99s ($23 million), but is less than Michael Schumacherxe2x80x99s ($80 million) who topped the list of best-earning international athletes. Sharapova is also behind Valentino Rossi ($30 million) and Ronaldinho (29.1 million), Bloomberg reported.
The earning figures include salary, bonuses, winnings, endorsement money and appearance fees. Tiger Woods, who won his 11th major golf title at the British Open this month, topped the list of U.S. athletes with $97.6 million.
According to Forbes magazine, Sharapova is the 63rd highest paid celebrity and the wealthiest female athlete in the world.

1 august 2006

Maria’s Favourite Car
source: The Sunday Times

Maria: xe2x80x9cI know a lot about cars, more than you probably think.” To prove it, she explains how, given the choice, shexe2x80x99d be behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. xe2x80x9cThe Vanquish is just hot,xe2x80x9d she says. xe2x80x9cI havenxe2x80x99t actually sat in one but Ixe2x80x99ve seen one on the road and itxe2x80x99s a good-looking piece of material.xe2x80x9d

I always take my iPod in the car with me. At the moment Ixe2x80x99m listening to a lot of James Blunt, Damien Rice, SIA, Imogen Heap and Kanye West.

For a larger image of ” THE VANQUISH ” just enter here !

Maria admits her driving style has a lot in common with her 115mph serves. Between training sessions she loves to let off steam behind the wheel and says she sometimes takes her eye off the speedometer.
xe2x80x9cI have been pulled over for speeding twice and both times the police officer asked me for my autograph and let me go,xe2x80x9d she says. xe2x80x9cI am lucky.xe2x80x9d A few months ago she even managed to fold her long limbs into a sports car. xe2x80x9cI was in Spain and I went on a track that a friend owns. I was in one of those low race cars; it was pretty incredible.xe2x80x9d
Still, she insists shexe2x80x99s just xe2x80x9ca normal 19-year-oldxe2x80x9d. xe2x80x9cI have my parents and a great group of friends and family that are really close to me. Ixe2x80x99m living a normal life, with benefits. In two hours Ixe2x80x99m going to be at home reading a book in my pyjamas. I like to keep things real and live down on earth.xe2x80x9d


23 juli 2006
JUST SOME DAY

For larger images just enter here !


10 juni 2006

Maria Sharapova Returns To Defend Title

Former world number one Maria Sharapova has officially confirmed today that she will return to the Edgbaston Priory Club to defend her title at the 25th DFS Classic between 10-18 June 2006 (Box Office number 0870 909 3015).
The former Wimbledon and two times defending DFS Classic Champion has been hugely popular since first playing in Birmingham in 2003 and heads an impressive field of world class female tennis players this year. She also won the doubles title with Maria Kirilenko in 2004. 2004 was a break through year for Sharapova after winning her first grass court title at the DFS Classic in Birmingham. Three weeks after claiming the title she went on to become the lowest-seeded and second-youngest (17 years and two months) ladies Wimbledon singles champion in the Open Era after beating two time defending champion Serena Williams in the final at SW19. Her form continued as she picked up further titles in Seoul, Tokyo and the Season-Ending Championships in Los Angeles.

The 2005 season was highlighted by her claiming the number one world ranking and a further three titles including defending her DFS Classic title against Jelena Jankovic from Serbia and Montenegro in the final. This year she has claimed one title in Miami where she became the first Russian to win in the tournamentxe2x80x99s 18 year history.
Tournament Director Marjory Howie commented:

She added: xe2x80x9cI know Maria is excited to be defending her title and it will no doubt help her preparation for Wimbledon this year. We have an excellent field of players entered this year and Ixe2x80x99m sure the title will be hotly contested.xe2x80x9d
The DFS Classic will be played at the Edgbaston Priory Club, June 10-18 2006 with tickets currently on sale via the Box Office on 0870 909 3015. This yearxe2x80x99s qualifying event will run between Saturday 10th and Sunday 11 June 2006 with the main draw played between 12 and 18 June.


19 Mei 2006

Maria moet wegens haar aanhoudende enkelblessure helaas ook afzeggen voor Istanbul.

Sharapova pulls out of Istanbul

From correspondents in Istanbul RUSSIA’S 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was forced to withdraw from next week’s Istanbul Open today because she has failed to recover from a right ankle injury. The 19-year-old had originally replaced American Lindsay Davenport, who is also injured. “Miss Sharapova wrote to the organisers, informing them that her right ankle injury had not healed well enough for her to play in the tournament,” read a statement from the organisers. Sharapova, who won the Indian Wells tournament earlier this year, was unable to play in the WTA tournament in Rome this week because of the injury and also an ingrowing toenail.

16 mei 2006.
Maria heeft zich alsnog laten plaatsen op de deelnemerslijst van het tier III toernooi in Istanbul. Het zal haar enige voorbereiding op gravel zijn voor Roland Garros in Parijs,tenminste als haar blessure het toelaat. Maria is als 1e geplaatst en het toernooi start op 22 mei a.s. playerslist

 

15 mei 2006

Vandaag heeft Maria haar 3e plaats op de WTA ranglijst moeten afstaan aan de nieuwe # 1 van het Russische tennis Nadia Petrova.Zij veroverde gisteren in Berlijn de titel van de Qatar Telecom German Open ten koste van Henin-Hardenne. Maria was afgelopen week helaas niet in Berlijn aanwezig en kon derhalve haar WTA punten niet verdedigen.

Tot overmaat van ramp moest Maria ook haar deelname aan het toernooi van Rome afzeggen. Maria ondervindt nog teveel hinder van haar enkelblessure,opgelopen tijdens de training in Mexico twee weken geleden.


&nbspRome,14 mei 2006.



– MAURESMO AND SHARAPOVA OUT OF ALICE CUP –

Reigning champion Amelie Mauresmo and world number three Maria Sharapova have both pulled out of the Alice Cup event in Rome, which starts on Monday. Mauresmo , the number one seed, has a bout of flu, whereas Sharapova is still suffering from a right foot injury she picked up in training two weeks ago, tournament organisers reported on Sunday night. Maria Sanchez Lorenzo of Spain and Esonia’s Maret Ani, lucky losers in the qualifying event, have therefore been brought into the main draw. Nathalie Dechy of France and Ai Sugiyama of Japan have been promoted to 17th and 18th seed respectively.

 

playerslist

Maria last year in Rome


1 mei 2006

Maria “on tour” in Mexico City met haar nieuwe parfumlijn.“MARIA SHARAPOVA BEAUTY & POWER”

26 april 2006

Vandaag werd bekend dat de demonstratie wedstrijd van Maria tegen de Argentijnse Gisela Dulko ( # 30 WTA rankinglist ) in Mexico City vanwege een enkelblessure van Maria niet doorgaat De verwachting is dat Maria op tijd weer fit zal zijn voor het gravel toernooi in Rome,welke 15 mei van start gaat. Wel zal ze van de gelegenheid gebruik maken haar nieuwe Maria Sharapova parfumlijn in Mexico City te promoten.


19-04-2006
Maria celebrates her 19th Birthday in New York.

***Maria Sharapova 19th birthday***
19-04-2006
A very happy 19th birthday Maria !!
HIP HIP HOORAY!


9 april 2006
Russian Tennis Star Sharapova Signs Deal With Land Rover
Source: The Moscow News

Tennis star Maria Sharapova will endorse Land Rover in a series of print ads as part of a three-year deal worth approximately $2 million a year, sources said yesterday. The Russian-born Sharapova, 18, will promote the brand in North America, England and Russia. She is expected to earn $20 million this year for her endorsements, which also include Honda Japan, Nike, Colgate-Palmolive, and Motorola, BrandWeek.com website reports. Land Rover is hosting an event with Sharapova as a guest in New York on Tuesday, April 11, when the car company is expected to make a formal announcement of the alliance. The Land Rover is part of Ford Motor Co.’s Premier Automotive Group along with Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo, selling upscale SUVs.

2 april 2006

Maria op promotietoer met haar nieuwe parfumlijn.

9-03-2006
Sharapova, Myskina to Skip Russia’s Fed Cup Tie Against Belgium

source:The Moscow News

Maria Sharapova and Anastasia Myskina will skip Russia’s forthcoming Fed Cup tie against Belgium, Reuters reported Wednesday. Speaking from the Pacific Life Open, where she is the third seed, former Wimbledon champion Sharapova said she does not feel in good enough shape to compete in the tie on clay in Liege. Maria: “My body is just not ready after two tough tournaments to go and play Fed Cup. It’s my own personal decision and I’m not going to be influenced by what anyone else does. I won’t be forced into it. My body just isn’t ready to go from hard courts to clay courts that quickly.” Following the Pacific Life Open Sharapova and Myskina will be competing at the NADDAQ-100 in Miami. Former French Open champion Myskina, who inspired Russia to the 2004 Fed Cup title, told Reuters that she has decided to skip Fed Cup all together this year. “It’s too much for me,” she said. “This year I want to play for myself. I’ve played every time they asked me to play again, but it’s been too much now.” Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters have both said they will play for Belgium in the April tie, the first time they have teamed up together since 2003. Elena Dementieva, who led Russia to the Fed Cup crown last year, said she will play, as will Nadia Petrova who won in Qatar last week.

14 februari 2006,Valentine’s Day

Maria is nu ook te bewonderen in “The swimsuit collection 2006” van ” Sports Illustrated “

Al vele beroemde sporters gingen haar voor,en deze speciale editie is 14 februari j.l. verschenen. Op de site van SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is een uitgebreide fotosessie van Maria te zien en via deze link te bereiken

In “The Moscow News ” verscheen vandaag onderstaand artikel.

Sharapova Celebrates Valentine’s Day in a Bikini
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova spent St. Valentine’s Day in New York City attending a presentation of the 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The 19-year-old Russian superstar has made quite a splash in this year’s edition. She has been photographed at the Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos by legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr.

Maria: “I love doing new things. Being in a bikini is very different, you don’t have a lot to work with, just your body and sand and water. But I got used to it. I love to compete, that’s what I do best. These are just things that I love to do for fun,”
Sharapova has yet to win on tour this year. However, she advanced to the semifinals at the Australian Open despite a nagging shoulder injury, and then lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne in three sets.

Maria: “It was good. I had a shoulder injury and I didn’t really think I’d be out there so I was very happy with my performance,”

The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition reaches 64 million adults in the U.S. alone, nearly tripling its normal weekly readership of 21 million. It will also be circulated in 15 different countries and 12 different languages.

19 januari 2006
Sharapova Models Baby-Doll Nighties at Australian Open
source:The Moscow News

Famous Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova has appeared at Australia Open’s second round in a powder-blue dress that looked like a baby-doll nightie and was remarked as a must-have fashion accessory. Some commentators quoted by AFP said Sharapova had dispensed with the need to change after her night-time victory over American Ashley Harkleroad on Wednesday and could go straight from the court to catch some sleep. Another Russian, Maria Kirilenko, appeared in a ruffled pale pink version designed by British Stella McCartney, daughter of ex-Beatle Paul. Kirilenko complemented her nightie with a fluorescent orange sports bra and undershorts. Croat Karolina Sprem also appeared in a lavender nightie. However, it did not help her win over the top seed Lindsay Davenport. Sharapova said she liked fashion “very much.” “I get involved with that very often. There’s a lot of interesting things that I want to do after my career. I don’t want to finish my tennis career and just, you know, sit there and be empty-handed. I want to have a lot of opportunities,” she added.

26 december 2005

Russische bevolking kiest Maria als hun meest favoriete sporter.
bron: The Moscow News

Russians Name Maria Sharapova Their Favorite Sports Personality

Every fifth Russian considers tennis star Maria Sharapova their favorite sportsperson, a recent poll by Romir Monitoring has shown. In general, 19 percent of Sharapova’s compatriots voted for her; those from big cities (28 percent) like her more than villagers (13 percent). It is hardly surprising that more men (23 percent) than women (16 percent) are fans of the attractive 18-year-old player. Sharapova is followed by a gymnast, world champion Alina Kabayeva, favored by 18 percent of Russians.

Maria Sharapova is the pride of Russia despite press speculations on the subject of her citizenship, claiming that her perfect English, her easy manner and even her good looks are typically American. She was born in Siberia but moved to the U.S. at the age of seven.

This year Maria won three events and became the first Russian ever male or female to be ranked number one in the world.

DFS Classic – Birmingham

DFS Classic Birmingham 2006
1 R bye
2 R beat Ahsha Rolle USA 6-4 6-2
3 R beat Na Li CHN 6-2 6-4
QF beat Mara Santangelo ITA 6-2 6-2
SF lost Jamea Jackson USA 4-6 4-6

17 juni 2006: Maria Sharapova suffers shock defeat

Two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova was sensationally defeated at the DFS Classic today, ending her 13 match win streak at the Edgbaston Priory Club. 19 year old American sensation Jamea Jackson stunned the top seed winning 6-4,6-4 in 1 hour and 33 mins.

Todayxe2x80x99s defeat was only the fourth time Maria has lost a match on grass during her short career. Jackson was also the lowest ranked player to defeat the Russian since August 2004.
Sundayxe2x80x99s final will be Jacksonxe2x80x99s first ever final on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The world number 81, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, shocked Sharapova with a series of stunning backhand winners.

xe2x80x9cShe was on top of her game and got on a roll from the beginning,xe2x80x9d said Maria. xe2x80x9cI was ready for a tough match as all of our previous matches had been tough. These things happen. Sometimes you come out and your opponent plays really well and you feel a bit flat.xe2x80x9d


16 juni 2006


Maria kan breeduit lachen.Gisteren boekte zij haar 200 ste prof overwinning op Na Li en vandaag bereikte zij de halve finale ten koste van Mara Santangelo ( 6-2 en 6-2 )
Zaterdag speelt Maria in deze halve finale tegen Jamea Jackson ( USA,# 81 WTA rankinglist)

Maria Sharapova To Face Jackson In Semis
Maria Sharapova moved another step closer to making it a hat-trick of titles at the DFS Classic today after removing 12th seed Mara Santangelo of Italy to reach the semi finals. The 19 year Russian was in commanding form winning 6-2, 6-2 in just one hour and seven minutes.
xe2x80x9cI knew she had a really good grass court game, so I had to be ready from the beginning,xe2x80x9d said Sharapova. xe2x80x9cI felt very comfortable out there today and I seem to be improving as each round goes by.xe2x80x9d
In the semi finals, Sharapova will meet giant-killer Jamea Jackson. The 19 year old American removed her third seed of the tournament so far when she defeated 4th seed Elena Likhovtseva of Russia 6-4, 6-3 this evening in a match interrupted by rain. This will be Jacksonxe2x80x99s first ever semi final on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
xe2x80x9cJamea, she has been playing great tennis this week. Her results speak for themselves, so I am expecting a tough match," said Sharapova.


15 juni 2006

Maria heeft vandaag de kwartfinale bereikt in Birmingham door de Chinese Na Li in 2 sets te verslaan ( 6-2 en 6-4 ) en behoud daarmee uitzicht om 3 keer op rij deze titel te winnen.
Morgen speelt zij tegen de 25 jarige Italiaanse Mara Santangelo ( # 39 van de WTA rankinglist )

Maria Sharapova remains focused on title
Top seed and defending champion Maria Sharapova of Russia remained focused against China’s Na Li earning her place in the last eight with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. The Russian star will next face number 12 seed Mara Santangelo of Italy who knocked out the world number 22 and 5th seed Ai Sugiyama from Japan 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Santangelo, won her first WTA Tour title in February in Bangalore and celebrates her 25th birthday at the end of the month.


14 juni 2006

Maria bereikt 3e ronde in Birmingham door Ahsha Rolle in 2 sets te verslaan ( 6-4 en 6-2 )
In deze 3e ronde treft Maria nu de Chinese Na Li ( CHN, WTA # 32 Rankinglist )


13 juni 2006

Maria zou vandaag haar eerste wedstrijd spelen tegen de 22 jarige Ahsha Rolle ( USA, # 143 WTA rankinglist ),maar aanhoudende regen in Birmingham was de grote spelbreker.
Een groot aantal wedstrijden moest worden afgebroken,en Maria kwam zelfs niet aan spelen toe.
Volgens het speelschema speelt Maria als 3e morgen 14/6 haar wedstrijd op Center Court.

10 juni 2006

Vandaag is het speelschema in Birmingham bekend gemaakt en Maria,als 1e geplaatst van dit Tier III toernooi heeft in de 1e ronde een bye.
Het is alweer de 3e keer dat Maria ter voorbereiding op Wimbledon hier zal spelen,en zowel in 2005 als in 2004 wist Maria deze titel te winnen.

DE EERSTE 10 GEPLAATSTE DEELNEMERS ZIJN (WTA RANKING):

Maria Sharapova (RUS) 04
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 11
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 18
Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) 20
Alicia Molik (AUS) 23
Ai Sugiyama JPN 24
Marion Bartoli (FRA) 29
Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 30
Jelena Jankovic (SCG) 32
Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 33

Maria in 2005 winnaar in Birmingham

Roland Garros 2006

Roland Garros 2006
1 R beat Mashona Washington USA 6-2 5-7 7-5
2 R beat Iveta Benesova CZE 6-4 6-1
3 R beat Alicia Molik AUS 6-0 7-5
4 R lost Dinara Safina RUS 5-7 6-2 5-7

4 juni 2006

Onverwacht verlies voor Maria

Maria heeft vandaag een grote kans laten liggen om voor de 3e keer op rij de kwartfinale van Roland Garros te bereiken.
In de derde set stond Maria maar liefst met 5-2 voor en serveerde voor de wedstrijd.
Het lukte haar echter niet om Safina op de knieen te krijgen en ging met 5-7, 6-2 en 5-7 ten onder.

Maria na de wedstrijd:"I haven’t played a lot of matches in the past weeks and don’t feel like I’m match-tough enough.
"Of course I’m disappointed, but I didn’t think I would be playing my best tennis here."
"At that point you’re thinking left and right, and you don’t know what you’re doing.You go into a different world, and you make dumb decisions."

2 juni 2006

Maria wint van Alicia Molik ( 6-0 7-5 ) en plaatst zich voor de 4e ronde in Parijs.
Zondag 4 juni a.s. treft Maria nu haar landgenote Dinara Safina,die de laatste tijd een uitstekende indruk achterliet ( # 17 op de WTA rankingslist.)
De wedstrijd wordt op court LENGLEN gespeeld en start om 11.00 am.

31 mei 2006

Maria wint in twee sets van Iveta Benesova ( 6-4 en 6-1 ) Vrijdag zal Maria haar 3e wedstrijd spelen op het center court tegen Alicia Molik (AUS)

28 mei 2006

Narrow escape for Maria in the first round
Maar liefst 3 matchpoints had Mashona Washington,en niemand gaf nog een cent voor de winstkansen van Maria. Ze knokte zich echter met haar enorme wilskracht en vechtersmentaliteit terug van een 2-5 achterstand in de derde set en wist alsnog te winnen. Setstanden 6-2,5-7 en 7-5.


Na de wedstrijd uitte Maria haar ongenoegen over de organisatie. Maria: "I had an MRI scan on my ankle on friday and phoned the French Federation to ask if I could play on monday or tuesday instead but they replied I was playing the fourth match on sunday. It did not make me feel great at all. Obviously they want to sell tickets and only care about their own players. "I surprised myself today, I was surprised I won the first set so easily and then that I won the match. Obviously the ankle was not too good but I am a competitor, that’s why I am here. I hope it will feel better in the next two days. I will take one match at a time."


In de 2e ronde treft Maria nu de 23 jarige Iveta Benesova (CZE, # 53 van de WTA rankingslist ) De wedstrijd wordt woensdag 31 mei op court CHATRIER gespeeld.Het is de tweede wedstrijd van deze dag op center court.

  26 mei 2006

Niet Maria,als #4 geplaatst,maar Nadia Petrova[3],Kim Clijsters[2] en Amxc3xa8lie Mauresmo[1] worden als grote kanshebbers getipt om Roland Garros 2006 te winnen. Niet verwonderlijk natuurlijk,want Maria speelde vanwege haar enkelblessure dit jaar nog geen enkele wedstrijd op gravel en er kan van haar dan ook niet al te veel verwacht worden. Hopelijk is haar blessure voldoende hersteld om een goed toernooi te kunnen spelen. Maria over haar kansen… "I don’t think I’m as perfect as I would have liked to be. But, you know, I’m giving it my best shot…Hopefully, with a few miracles, things can get better and I’ll be able to play. Definitely won’t be 100 percent, but we’ll see how it goes." Zondag 28 mei treft Maria in de 1e ronde de 29 jarige Mashona Washington ( USA , # 97 WTA rankinglist ). Maria heeft 174 WTA punten te verdedigen.

Roland Garros Ladies Singles Main Draw

Maria kwalificeerde zich in 2003 voor dit toernooi maar wist toen de 2e ronde niet te halen. In de jaren 2004 en 2005 bereikte ze de kwartfinales en verloor toen respectievelijk van Paola Suarez en Justine Henin- Hardenne.

Good luck Maria !!Maria aktief op Roland Garros2004 2005 2006 Russia’s Maria Sharapova returns the ball during a training session at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May 26, 2006, just two days before the start of the French Open tennis tournament