Sharapova takes over No. 1 ranking on WTA Tour

[jcshie (計劃總趕不上變化~)]

Updated: Aug. 22, 2005, 12:10 AM ET
Russian teen in fourth year as pro

Reuters

LONDON -- There is something disarming about Maria Sharapova. Something
at odds with her ready smile and glamorous attire. And that something on
Monday lifted her to world No. 1.

Poised beyond her years, the Siberian-born teen took just four years as a
professional to become ranked the world's best tennis player.

However, that rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world in fact began
nine years ago with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to
endure.

Sharapova had not yet celebrated her 10th birthday when she was packed off
to train in the United States.

That trip to Florida with father Yuri launched her on the path to success
and stardom, but it also required a heart-wrenching two-year separation
from her mother, Yelena, who stayed in Siberia because of visa restrictions.

From that young age Sharapova learned that tennis excellence would only
come at a price.

"I was so lonely," she recalled. "I missed my mother terribly. My father
was working as much as he could, so he couldn't see me.

"Because I was so young, I used to go to bed at 8 p.m., and they [other
tennis students] would come in at 11 p.m. and wake me up and tell me to
tidy up the room and clean it. But it toughened me up, and I learned how
to take care of myself. I never thought about quitting because I knew
what I wanted. When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it
makes you very hungry and determined. I would have put up with much more
than that to make it," she said.

That toughness runs through the teen today and was central to her winning
Wimbledon last year and to becoming world No. 1 on Monday.

While her journey from the frozen plains of Siberia to the summit of tennis
has touched the hearts of tennis fans, for Sharapova there appears no room
for sentiment.

The straight looks and answers she gives when asked of her ambitions leaves
no doubt there is any question in her mind the sacrifice was worth it.

"I am very, very competitive," is her mantra. "I work hard at what I do.
It is my job."

A marketer's dream, the blonde, 6-footer is a blend of cultures and
contradictions.

While she talks baseball-cap American, she proudly parades her Russian
nationality.

"I'm Russian. The U.S. is a big part of my life. But I have Russian
citizenship. My blood is totally Russian. I will play the Olympics for
Russia if they want me," she said as if any doubt lingers.

Like any number of 18-year-olds she lists fashion, singing and dancing
as her hobbies yet devours the novels of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Her penchant for sophisticated evening gowns and glamorous nightlife
would appear at odds with her love of pancakes with chocolate spread
and fizzy orange drinks.

Sharapova can not be pigeon-holed or easily categorized. She is a one-off
whose talent, unwavering desire and readiness to sacrifice has lifted
her to the top of the world.

Few would deny her the riches she is now reaping. But if her rewards
are monetary, her motivation has always been more Corinthian.

"Of course, money is a motivation," she said. "Tennis is a business
and a sport, but the most important thing is to become No. 1 in the
world. That's the dream that kept me going."



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