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** Masha News and Articles! ** Vol. 2

490K views 5K replies 229 participants last post by  jameshazza 
#1 ·
Hi everyone :wavey:

Thought maybe we could use a thread here to post all the news, interviews, and articles we find on Masha. :)

I just got my new Tennis Week magazine and Maria is on the cover again (she was also on the March cover). :eek:

If they haven't been posted already, I'll scan in the pics and article and post them here later.
 
#4,383 ·
I consider an INSULT , the part of the article that says "American-based Sharapova"... the fact that it comes straight from Wimbledon website, makes it even more appaling...

Maria Sharapova has chosen to be a Russian, even when she was offered other "options". The fact that she lives in the States means jack s**t... Most tennis players dont live in their home country, that doesnt make them any less Russians or what not... Besides Masha went to the US because of tennis.

So that "amercian based Sharapova" comment is rather disgusting, especially now that Maria is going to carry the flag of her country with pride. Maria is Russian, and she is proud of it as she always says so, everyone should respect that, especially Wimbledon officials.
 
#4,387 ·
As most of us gear up for some of the most exciting, entertaining tennis from Maria over the next few years, I believe there are many possibilities for her over several decades. She has shown the ability to keep business matters separate from concentrating on her game. She is observant and very intelligent, so I can't believe she is not forming some opinions about the turmoil in the world. Her excitement about carrying the russian flag is something I think is a good thing. This world will have a need for the best and brightest to step up, one way or another. I am not sure if or what in maria's case, but think it will be something.
 
#4,392 ·
Anyway it didn't sound in an offensive way to me, it was just an "additional info" which the writer added in the article, I don't think it meant in any bad way. It's just the fact that Maria is "american-based" like, for example, Vika or Caro or Nole are "Monte Carlo-based" ;)
 
#4,405 ·
COMMENTARY
Sharapova back where it all began
Updated: June 20, 2012, 10:16 PM ET
By Greg Garber | ESPN.com

Early in the second set of the 2004 Wimbledon final, an extraordinary thing happened:

Maria Sharapova, standing inside the service line, unleashed a violent, swinging forehand volley, which hit Serena Williams -- square on the nose.

This was when Williams was close to her peak, having won five majors in the previous two years and pretty much cornered the market on muscular intimidation. Sharapova? She was a slender 17-year-old playing a limited schedule mandated by the WTA.

Sharapova stunned Williams 6-1, 6-4.

"I never, never in my life expected this to happen so fast," said the second-youngest Wimbledon champion ever. "To tell you the truth, I don't know what happened in the match. I don't know how I won. I was in my own little world -- I don't know what world that was, really."

[+] Enlarge
Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images
It's hard to believe, but eight years have passed since Maria Sharapova's first Grand Slam win.
At the time, that low screamer felt like a warning shot.

Sharapova went on to win the U.S. Open two years later and, two years after that, the Australian Open. But then, after winning three Grand Slam singles titles in a span of 15 majors, she dropped off the grid. Sharapova went 0-for-the-next-15.

And now, after triumphantly completing her career Grand Slam with the title at Roland Garros, she returns to the All England Club, where it all began. After career-threatening shoulder surgery and an agonizingly prolonged comeback, Sharapova is again back on top of tennis.

"She basically said, 'I am not going away. No, no, no,'" said Tennis Channel analyst Mary Carillo. "You've got to give it to Maria in that she has never taken her eye off the ball, literally or figuratively. She always had it in her head she was going to get back to this place; she never dropped the ball.

"I certainly think she can win Wimbledon," Carillo said. "Absolutely. The U.S. Open a second time? Sure. Does that answer your question? "

Well, yes.

Carillo likens Sharapova's journey to that of Andre Agassi's, who after winning three majors from 1992-95, went through a difficult three-year period.

"Andre and Maria didn't mind the process [of the comeback]," Carillo said. "Andre said, 'All right, I still have tennis in me; I can win majors. I can take that ride being [ranked No.] 141 in the world. I will play Challengers.'

"He didn't need to do it, and neither did Maria. It had to be hard to be hitting all those double faults and wondering if her serve would ever get better."

It's hard to believe she turned 25 in April and that this is her 10th season as a professional. There are three older women in the top 10: Williams, Samantha Stosur and Marion Bartoli and a fourth, Sara Errani, is only 10 days younger.

Four years after the fact, Sharapova's back to the No. 1 ranking and the question begs itself: Can she, will she be a dominant, full-year No. 1 that the WTA has lacked since Justine Henin's run of 61 straight weeks in 2007-08?

"[Victoria] Azarenka had a great run at the beginning, but then what happened?" Carillo said. "[Petra] Kvitova wins Wimbledon and basically goes away. Li Na same thing. Stosur, too. You think they'd like it more up there.

"Maria and Serena are the only ones who have shown a taste for longevity. Can she sustain herself at the No. 1 spot? There are a lot of interesting questions coming into Wimbledon. I picked Serena to win in the French. Hey, I was off by a mere seven rounds. Someone is going to have to prove to me that Serena can't win anything she sets her sights on."

That someone at Roland Garros was Virginie Razzano, who stunned Serena in the first round. At Wimbledon, her power will be rewarded on the living grass. Azarenka (a semifinalist a year ago) and defending champion Kvitova, too, will find a surface more conducive to their games.

Sharapova is coming off the best clay season of her life; she won 19 of 20 matches and won three titles. Her eight victories over top-10 players are already her most in a season since 2006. Another sign of her growing dominance: She is trying to become the first woman to reach the finals at the season's first three majors since Henin in 2006.

Sharapova was undeniably emotional after winning at Roland Garros, something we haven't seen since that breakthrough eight years ago at Wimbledon. But when she met the press after that final triumph, Sharapova had recovered her cool command.

"I believe in my game," she said. "I think that's one of the reasons why I'm sitting here with my fourth one and winning Roland Garros, is because I always believed I could."

Another warning shot, perhaps?

"It's not over yet," Sharapova advised. "I'm not sitting here and saying I'm done, because I'm far from it. I have a lot more in me to achieve."
 
#4,417 ·
That's a torrid pace of play for Pova! The result of making so many Finals but it only represents eight tournaments! She has at least six more tournaments to play, possibly eight!

W
Olympics
Canada
Cincinatti
USO
Japan
Beijing
YEC

Maybe she will skip Canada and Japan?

Whatever, keep it together. Pova!
 
#4,421 ·
I seriously doubt Maria would play mixed if she thought there were any chance it would harm her chances at singles.
So if she decides to play, we shouldn't worry.
I think it would be nice if she played with Youzhny, I like him. :p
But don't other Russians want to play mixed and are also more experienced and actually better than Maria at it? :confused:

Also, hadn't she said something about it at a press conference at RG? Something like "nobody asked me to play mixed"?
So I guess it's a possibility.
 
#4,422 ·
No way! I really don't think she'll play mixed doubles! :lol: I'll be so surprised if she decides to play it! She hasn't played doubles for ages too!
 
#4,424 ·
Wow that is a great pace. Sharapova and Azarenka's winning percentages are insane. I reckon she will take a break during that Asia swing, I don't expect her to do both.
 
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