Joined
·
16,898 Posts
Maybe it's too soon to call her the real deal. But all signs are pointing to Maria having an outstanding career. Fourteen year old Maria Sharapova has won 3 of the 5 ITF 18u tournaments she has played. And in those 3 titles, she has wiped out the field with unbelievable scores! Maria has had a great start to her 18u career. She won her first tournament in the Czech Republic. In five matches, Maria lost an average of 3.8 games per match. Her second title was a Chanda Rubin tournament in California. Maria lost 16 games in 4 matches. Which is an average losing 4 games per match. Her third 18u title came at another Chanda Rubin tournament. This one was in South Carolina. In 5 matches, Maria lost a mere 17 games. Which averages losing only 3.4 games per match. Remember, I'm talking matches and not sets. These are schockingly lopsided scores and matches. It's even more impressive when you realize that the "Russian Lynx" has only recently started her 18u career. It's not like she 's 16 or 17 and posting these scores. Maria is a 5'8" 105 pound 14 year old Amazon (wink wink!), who is throwing her weight around, so to speak, and showing a killer instict I haven't seen before in a Russian female tennis player. Let's hope she can continue to develope and take her killer instinct to the WTA tour. Udachi Maria!
[ November 15, 2001: Message edited by: the cat in the hat ]</p>
[ November 15, 2001: Message edited by: the cat in the hat ]</p>