[Dieter.]

Can anyone out-slam Sharapova at Wimbledon?

by Ron Atkin - Sunday 17 June 2012
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/...953204897.html

Can it really have been eight years since a blonde teenager from Russia knelt on the baseline of Centre Court, arms thrust aloft in a heady mix of joy and disbelief, having just won the 2004 Wimbledon title? In those eight years Maria Sharapova has known fame by winning the Australian and US Opens, fortune beyond her wildest dreams and come through a career-threating shoulder operation in 2008 with such typical determination that she completed the set of Grand Slam titles by capturing the French Open earlier this month.

Now the 25-year-old American-based Sharapova is aiming for a second triumph at The Championships. She is the form favourite, too, having regained the world No.1 spot for the first time in four years. The French Open marked the culmination of a year-long push for the top as Maria and her repaired shoulder gradually grew stronger physically and mentally. In that 12 months she has reached - and lost - two other Grand Slam finals.

At Wimbledon last summer Maria's slam-bang style propelled her into the final, only to be out-slammed by the tall Czech lefthander Petra Kvitova. There was an even worse drubbing at the Australian Open final in January, where she collected just three games against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. But her remarkable self-belief remained undimmed.

"No matter how many punches I took in my career I have always gotten back up," she says. "That's what really gets me through. I have a tremendous amount of belief and pride in what I do. I've always said this, I love playing tennis.

"I could have said 'I don't need this'. I have money, I have fame, I have victories, I have Grand Slams. But when your love for something is bigger than all those things you continue getting up in the morning when it's freezing outside."

Sharapova acknowledges there were times when she doubted her ability to come back from shoulder surgery in October 2008. By the following May, when she returned to singles action, her ranking had slumped to 126. "But I never actually said I was not going to be back. I had that certain belief in me. I love competing. There is nothing in the world that gives you that adrenalin feeling. It's different, I think, to other careers. In this sport it's all in your own hands and that's what I love about it. You control your own wins and losses."

Those wins started to mount up this year as Sharapova hit form in the spring, defeating Azarenka in the Stuttgart final in April and then outlasting the dogged Chinese Li Na in the Rome final last month. Now, after that heady success at Roland Garros and a few days' deserved rest, the woman who wowed Wimbledon in 2004 is back to tilt once more at the tournament she loves most - and she has a word of warning for the opposition.

"I have a lot more in me to achieve. I believe in my game, I always strive to be better." All of which could add up to another Grand Slam success on Centre Court. She will certainly be hammering her way in pursuit of that. And anybody who wants to stop Maria Sharapova will need to be prepared to out-slam her.

[gc-spurs]

^^I just read the first line and thought- am I that old?

[Valkyre]

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.

[nelsondan]

I wonder how complicated the job is to get all maria's tax forms sorted out and sent to the proper places.

[denny5576]

Originally Posted by Valkyre

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.

Do not try, please, creating a problem from nothing.

[denny5576]

Originally Posted by nelsondan

I wonder how complicated the job is to get all maria's tax forms sorted out and sent to the proper places.

Not so easy...

[nelsondan]

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.

[pov]

Originally Posted by Valkyre

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.

over-reactive any? First, it's a fact - Sharapova is American-based. She's lived here since she was 7 yo. Second, it points out to the casual reader that she's not American. Third, all her fans can be thankful that her father didn't think of American-based as an outrageous insult.

[DeeHax]

Originally Posted by pov

over-reactive any? First, it's a fact - Sharapova is American-based. She's lived here since she was 7 yo. Second, it points out to the casual reader that she's not American. Third, all her fans can be thankful that her father didn't think of American-based as an outrageous insult.

I completely agree with you!!

[Valkyre]

Originally Posted by pov

over-reactive any? First, it's a fact - Sharapova is American-based. She's lived here since she was 7 yo. Second, it points out to the casual reader that she's not American. Third, all her fans can be thankful that her father didn't think of American-based as an outrageous insult.

Maria went to the states because she had no other option in order to have a future in tennis. Maybe I over reacted I admit, but it is because i did not expect to read something like that on an official website, not when a few days back Maria announced she is going to carry the Russian flag.

Maria lives in America but still stays true to her heritage and she has proven that many times in the past. My comments was not towards US, not in any way at all (referring to your last sentence which makes it sound as if my comment was racist which was not).

I would have said the same thing if a US athlete lived in China and the article wrote "the China based XXX athlete". I hope I make that clear now. In any case, I apologize if it sounded a bit too much. Carry on!

[Kon.]

Originally Posted by Valkyre

I consider an INSULT , the part of the article that says "American-based Sharapova"... .

It's not as if it said she's American. It said American-based, which she is.
Nothing wrong with that.

[Trih]

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"

[azi]

Maria is the Highest Paid Female Athlete

http://ph.sports.yahoo.com/news/mayw...8726--spt.html

[gc-spurs]

^This is news to me.

[ziros]

Wonder how much longer she can stay the #1 paid female athlete,what is it 7 years,8 years in a row?