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Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova, Maria Kirilenko and Venus Williams, kournikova, hot, sexy, tennis, davis cup, signed, autographs, tournament, wallpapers, bikini photo shoot, wimbledon, us open, SI, sports illustrated, prince, nike, canon, videos
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“I don’t follow other players or the tournaments they play. I have my own schedule and do my own thing. I never really think, ’Oh, I want to be or play like so-and-so.’ I just like being myself.” |
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Posted on Jan 23 / 2007 / 11:57 AM 
Whether she departs the Australian Open with the trophy, Maria Sharapova is assured of ascending to the No. 1 ranking for the first time since October 2005.
Don't break out the champagne.
"It's not that big a deal," Sharapova says. "It's a good fact, but it's not something I go onto the court thinking about."
As usual, the reigning U.S. Open champ has her eye on the prize.
Sharapova, two points from defeat in her sole-melting opening match, punctuated her imminent return to the top by outslugging fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 Monday. The win pushed Sharapova's record to 23-1 since her second Grand Slam tournament title in New York in September, her only loss coming in November to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships.
She faces another teenager, No. 12 seed Anna Chakvetadze, in the quarterfinals. Chakvetadze, 19, defeated No. 8 seed Patty Schynder of Switzerland 6-4, 6-1 to set up the all-Russian affair.
More important for the Siberia-born, Florida-trained Sharapova, her game is starting to peak after shaky moments early in the tournament.
"I thought I definitely stepped it up," said the top seed, who will move up from No. 2 after Amelie Mauresmo's and Svetlana Kuznetsova's exit from the tournament and Henin-Hardenne's absence. "I was going for my shots a bit more. I felt like I was a little tentative in my previous matches just tying to find my rhythm."
Against No. 22 seed Zvonareva, a former top-10 player returning to form after injuries, Sharapova pulled out her best tennis on the crucial points in a battle featuring percussive baseline rallies.
Sharapova converted on her 10th break point to take a 6-5 lead in the first set, which she closed out with a shrieking inside-out forehand winner. She raced to a 5-2 lead in the second but had to come back from 0-40 on her second service game for the match to finally close it out.
"Obviously, it's disappointing in a situation where you don't take care of business after five or six (break points)," she said. "But the main thing is that I didn't really let that get in my head."
Sharapova's rise to the top is testament to the consolidation of her skills since winning Wimbledon in 2004 at 17 years old. Her serve is now a major weapon, her movement and defense have improved and her signature champion's hunger remains intact. The 19-year-old has reached the quarterfinals or better in 10 of her last 12 majors and never exited before the third round in any Slam.
"She definitely improved her serve and her movement," Zvonareva says. "She became a really patient player, no matter even though she's really aggressive. It's not just about the crucial points in the match."
"I just trust her mental strength better than anybody else," ESPN analyst Pam Shriver says.
Sharapova, too, believes she wasn't ready to seize the tour when she won Wimbledon more than two years ago.
"Technically I've always said I never really expected to win my first major at 17 years old," she says.
But she says having bagged her second major at the U.S. Open — what she calls "that feeling inside of you where you know you're able to win another Grand Slam" — has positioned her for more success.
"I think that I have many more Grand Slams in me," she says.
Comments: 8 reactions
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Comment on article
 Well done Maria.
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by WIlson on Jan 23 / 2007 / 1:27 PM | |
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MARIA, CON TU TENIS GANARAS., TRANQUILA, PACIENCIA Y SOLO SAL A GANAR SIN MIEDO. GANARAS EN MELBOURNE |
by FERNANDO on Jan 23 / 2007 / 3:31 PM | |
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I Love Maria |
by Daniboy2099 on Jan 24 / 2007 / 3:42 AM | |
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For the third time in a row, Maria, is in a semifinals after 7-6, 7-5 over Anna Chavetádze. But it was not a very boring match for your many fans all over the World,Maria . Over 42 unfor. errors in two sets. Realy badly. If Maria play such again in the semifinals between the winner Martina Hingis - Kim Klijsters, she´ll lose big. Like the as last year VM in Madrid in november.
Come on, Maria! Why are you always played the bad matches in Aussie.
Good Luck. Yoy needed it very much this year...Sorry! |
by P Krickstein on Jan 24 / 2007 / 3:51 AM | |
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maria; please get your big serve going.if you do you are unbeatable. |
by winston on Jan 24 / 2007 / 7:47 AM | |
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HAY QUE SACAR ALGO POSITIVO DEL PARTIDO CONTRA ANNA, 1º SABES GANAR LOS PUNTOS NECESARIOS, 2º SIN JUGAR BIEN GANAS, Y 3º TODAVIA TIENES RESERVAS DE TENIS. YO SE QUE TU TENIS SERÁ EL MEJOR DEL TORNEO CONTRA KIM. NOS VEMOS EN LA FINAL, MARIA |
by FERNANDO on Jan 24 / 2007 / 8:29 AM | |
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POZDRAVLIAU s TRUDNOY POBEDOY !!!   |
by Alex on Jan 24 / 2007 / 12:07 PM | |
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nice player i love you |
by ashu on Feb 05 / 2007 / 10:01 AM | |
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