AUSTRALIA / FILE: TENNIS - Maria Sharapova is fit and raring to go, she hopes she can win the Australian Open and get back to world number one

Record ID: 190334

  • Title: AUSTRALIA / FILE: TENNIS - Maria Sharapova is fit and raring to go, she hopes she can win the Australian Open and get back to world number one
  • Date: 15th January 2008
  • Summary: FILE (BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, UK - JUNE 11, 2007) (REUTERS) SHARAPOVA ON PRACTISE COURT WITH DANIELA HANTUCHOVA
  • Embargoed: 30th January 2008 12:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2JUCOE1X1066O28WRZMU90LK0
  • Story Text: Maria Sharapova has two grand slam titles in the bag and has attained world number one status, but the Russian still believes her best is yet to come.
    The world number five will meet Croatia's Jelena Kostanic Tosic in her first match at the Australian Open beginning on Monday (January 14) but sees world number one Justine Henin as her strongest opponent and considers defending champion Serena Williams and her sister Venus also as big threats for the title.
    However, the Russian said in an interview shortly before the tournament that her never-say-die attitude would stand her in good stead over the next fortnight.

    "I've gotten pretty far, the last few times I played the semi's and last year in the final. So I'm really hoping I can win it this year. I had a really good off-season of four to five weeks of really tough training, you know, getting in good shape, so I'm really looking forward to this one,"
    she said in Melbourne.
    The Russian, who will be celebrating her 21st birthday on April 19, has won the U.S. Open in 2006 but her biggest personal glory came at the All England tennis club at a very young age in 2004.

    "Winning Wimbledon at 17, that was probably my biggest achievement because it came at such a young age and also at a time where I never really thought I was ready physically and mentally to win my first Grand Slam. And also all the things that came with it. It took so long to realise and it was always a dream of mine ever since I came to play Wimbledon since I was a junior," she said.
    Sharapova is one of the most photographed women in the world and has succeeded in what her Russian predecessor Anna Kournikova failed: to be a hit both on and off court.

    "I try not to see myself as someone that is famous. You know, I am surrounded by a really good group that, everyday teach me, not teach me but kind of make me feel like I'm like everyone else which at the end of the day you are. Just because I'm successful at what I do and I'm good at what I do doesn't make me higher than anyone else," she said.
    The young Russian, born in Siberia in 1987 one year after the Chernobly disaster, admits that one day she would love to have her own family.

    "You know, I always joke with my team that I probably won't be playing tennis for a really long time because family is so important to me and they always say, oh you're going to be a mom at 26. Because my mother had me when she was very young and we have become very good friends. We're like best friends. So I really want to be close to my son or my daughter at some point in time," she said.
    Sharapova has a final message and advice to children who look at her as role model.

    "From playing tennis to grades in school, everyone's going to have their flaws and I admit to that. I'm by no means perfect at all and I think that is one of the things growing up as a kid I always try to find the good things about tennis players and what they did well - someone's footwork or someone's serve and I try to incorporate that into my game. So seeing myself when little girls and boys say: 'I want to be just like you', I'm like 'no', you want to be better, you want to be better than me! So, it's still strange to me!", she said with a big smile.
    Sharapova suffered a shoulder injury in 2007 which caused her to alter her service action but she believes she is fully fit after the off-season and raring to go.
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