Sharapova Downs Clijsters in Australian Open

Maria Sharapova continued to play down her scrappy progress into the Australian Open final following her 6-4 6-2 victory over Kim Clijsters on Thursday. The Russian top seed made 33 unforced errors against the Belgian fourth seed before setting up a match against American Serena Williams, who beat her in the semi-finals at Melbourne Park two years ago.

“I felt I played a much better match all round today,” the 19-year-old told a news conference. “I was really focused and I did the right thing at the right time. I was patient when I needed to be. “I’m definitely glad that I could come up with a two-set win against her,” said Sharapova, who will be world number one next week. “I knew that in order to beat her I had to step it up.” Williams fought back from a set down to beat Sharapova in the 2005 semi-finals at Melbourne Park and, although she is unseeded and ranked only 81st in the world, Sharapova knows she faces a difficult match.

“I’m going to be playing against a player who didn’t expect too much coming into the tournament, so that makes her a dangerous opponent,” Sharapova said. Sharapova has played Williams four times with each winning twice.

She will now meet Serena Williams..who she beat in 2004 to win her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

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Sharapova’s Close Season Update

Here is what Maria Sharapova had to say to her fans about this season on her site MariaSharapova.com:

Hi everyone!

I have had such a great year this year! Winning the US Open in New York was the highlight of course but it feels great to be playing well and injury free. The turning point was being able to practice a lot after Wimbledon and all that hard work paid off by winning San Diego and everything came together then.

Madrid came at the end of a very long year and of course I am disappointed that I lost but I can now look forward to my vacation!

Even though I won’t be playing again until January, keep coming back to the website for news, photos, videos and more!

Last, but not least, I cannot thank you enough for your amazing support this year. You guys make me realize how important it is to have such great fans. It’s been so fun, and I look forward to working hard for another successful year!

See you in 2007!

Maria

Maria Sharapova Wins The U.S Open

Finally! a Grand Slam title after her victorious 2004 Wimbledon Title.

Sharapova convincingly brushed aside Justine Henin-Hardenne,in a straight sets 6-4, 6-4 win, in Arthur Ashe Stadium to secure her second Grand Slam title.She is indeed proving to be a pretty face and a winner too…unlike Kournikova

The victory will no doubt increase the earning power of a woman who is already said to pocket more than £13m a year - and was presented with a cheque for $1.7m (some £910,000) here - but while she clearly has a good head for business and enjoys her celebrity status, this was a demonstration of her dedication to her sport.

Sharapova reacted like a teenager at first, racing to find her father, Yuri Sharapov, in the stands. But then she acted like the poised woman she is becoming.

She thanked the fans. She thanked her father, who was on a cell phone while she was giving her speech. She thanked Billie Jean King, for whom the USTA National Tennis Center was named. She thanked everybody but her sponsors.

“Thank you guys, this is an amazing honor, I’m so happy this is here in New York, my favorite city in the world, in front of the best fans,” she said.

Henin-Hardenne had a blank look on her face watching Sharapova bask in the moment. After becoming only the seventh woman to reach all four finals of a Grand Slam event in one season, Henin-Hardenne lost for the third time.

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My life is not about a banana,’
Maria fumes

U.S. Open: Sharapova finally reaches the Final…

The semi final jinx has been broken as Maria Sharapova ousted world no. 1 Amelie Mauresmo 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 to set up a U.S. Open final against No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne.

The 19-year-old Sharapova, seeded third, showed little vulnerability. “I’m not done yet,” she told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. But Henin-Hardenne, who packs ferocity inside her petite 5-foot-6-frame, has won their past four meetings.
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Sharapova Advances to the third round of the U.S. Open

Revenge is best served cold

Maria Sharapova gained revenge when she beat Emilie Loit 6-0, 6-1.
In 2003 a 16-year-old Sharapova was ousted in her first ever U.S Open by Loit, so i guess
this is the perfect revenge beating the same opponent in the same Grand Slam.

The 19-year-old Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion and an Open semi-finalist last year, took only 52 minutes to dispatch the 27-year-old Loit, who seemed to have no weapons to threaten the Russian.

More : reuters

Sharapova Advances to the quaterfinals at the JPMorgan Chase Open

Maria Sharapova has advanced to the quaterfinals of the $600,000 JPMorgan Chase Open by slamming 15th seed Marion Bartoli in the third round with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

After falling in the Wimbledon semifinals to eventual champion Amelie Mauresmo, the 19-year-old Sharapova took a month off. The time away seems to have done her good. The ravishing Russian has ravaged the competition, ringing up seven straight match wins without dropping a set. In that run is her first win in five career meetings with Belgium’s Kim Clijsters in the final of last week’s Acura Classic.

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