Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова; born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. Her parents are originally from Gomel, Belarus, but moved to Russia in 1986 in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Sharapova was born in Nyagan, Siberia, the following year.
At the age of three, Sharapova moved with her family to the resort town of Sochi, beginning to play tennis at the age of four, using a racquet given to her by Yevgeny Kafelnikov's father. At age five or six, at a tennis clinic in Moscow, Sharapova was spotted by Martina Navratilova, who urged her parents to get her serious coaching in the United States.
In 2004, Sharapova became the second youngest Wimbledon women's champion in the Open Era (after Martina Hingis) by defeating defending two-time champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4). In the process she also became the first Russian ever to win that tournament.
Sharapova is regarded by many as possessing a natural beauty and figure and has done some modeling, having signed a contract in November 2003 with IMG Models . She enjoys fashion and is known to read celebrity magazines. However, she says she does not want to overdo these activities, preferring to focus on her tennis. She is often compared to Anna Kournikova, also a Russian Bollettieri student and model. However, Sharapova, Bollettieri, and Kournikova all reject the comparison.
Sharapova studies via correspondence on the internet with the Keystone High School home schooling program and has a liking for sociology.
| Contents |
Titles (9)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (1) |
| WTA Championships (1) |
| Tier I Event (1) |
| WTA Tour (6) |
Singles (9)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | 2003-09-29 | Tokyo | Hard | Aniko Kapros (Hungary) | 2-6 6-2 7-6 |
| 2. | 2003-10-27 | Quebec City | Hard | Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) | 6-2 RET |
| 3. | 2004-06-07 | Birmingham | Grass | Tatiana Golovin (France) | 4-6 6-2 6-1 |
| 4. | 2004-06-21 | Wimbledon | Grass | Serena Williams (USA) | 6-1 6-4 |
| 5. | 2004-09-27 | Seoul | Hard | Marta Domachowska (Poland) | 6-1 6-1 |
| 6. | 2004-10-04 | Tokyo | Hard | Mashona Washington (USA) | 6-0 6-1 |
| 7. | 2004-11-08 | WTA Tour Championships (L.A.) | Hard | Serena Williams (USA) | 4-6 6-2 6-4 |
| 8. | 2005-02-06 | Tokyo | Carpet | Lindsay Davenport (USA) | 6-1 3-6 7-6 |
| 9. | 2005-02-21 | Doha | Hard | Alicia Molik (Australia) | 4-6 6-1 6-4 |
Performance Timeline
| Tournament | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | SF | 3r | 1r | - | 0 |
| Roland Garros | QF | 1r | - | 0 | |
| Wimbledon | W | 4r | - | 1 | |
| US Open | 3r | 2r | - | 0 | |
| WTA Tour Championships | W | - | - | 1 | |
| Finals reached | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Tournaments Won | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Hardcourt Win-Loss | 18-3 | 55-15 | 34-12 | 1-2 | 73-23 |
| Carpet Win-Loss | 4-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5-1 |
| Grass Win-Loss | 0-0 | 12-0 | 9-2 | 0-0 | 21-2 |
| Clay Win-Loss | 0-0 | 8-3 | 5-2 | 0-0 | 13-5 |
| Overall Win-Loss | 22-3 | 55-15 | 34-12 | 1-2 | 112-31 |
| Year End Ranking | 4 | 32 | 186 | N/A |
External links
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