Maria's surge -

This week, Maria has burst on to the scene after an outstanding performance at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, in which she knocked out three seeded players, including the number one seed Elena Dementieva, in what was a classic battle.  Maria has attracted the attentions of fans, experts, and perhaps more importantly, the media.  Maria is seen by many as the next Anna Kournikova, and thus journalists have jumped at the chance of cashing in on this Russian jewel, desperate to get the groundwork in before Maria's real stardom hits the scene.  They will not have an easy task though.  A certain Mr Donaldson and myself have already experienced great difficulty in interacting with those closest to Maria.  A simple request for a picture or two was shot down with a cold 'Not before the match,' by one of Maria's trainers.  Understandably these people are trying to protect Maria as best they can.  With Maria at the tender age of 16, it is hardly surprising that she is being wrapped up in cotton wool, and even an astranaught's suit to protect her from the frenzy of people desperate for something from her.

What is it about this girl? -

Aside from having natural beauty and a glamourous presence, Maria has a big heart and a fantastic game to match.  She is strong on both wings and clatters the ball flatly from corner to corner from the centre of the court.  During her 1rd match against fellow Russian Evgenia Koulikovskaya she hardly left the centre of the court.  She was dominant from the start of the point, and it made no difference whether she was serving or returning.  She amount of power she generates through her slender figure is something to behold and she plays with such confidence that even borders on the fringes of an attractive arrogance.  On certain big points, the Russian starlet slaps her left leg inspirationally, attempting to inject some intensity to make the next point hers.  She is a real battler and really looks at home on the court.  If her progress continues at half the rate it has gone so far this season, then it is only a matter of a year or so before she breaks into the top ten.  Maria is well capable of a big victory at Wimbledon, and one which will highlight her personality throughought the world.  We've seen this type of progress in the past by a particular player, but this person isn't Anna Kournikova.

The next Kournikova? -

Maria is always quick to play down her role as the next Kournikova, and aside from a couple of photo-shoots, appears to be a shy and down to Earth girl who just wants to get on with her tennis.  Maria may have the looks of Kournikova, but her progress so far is extremely similar to that of a certain Jelena Dokic.  In Wimbledon 1999, Jelena took the world by storm following her stunning victory over world number one Martina Hingis.  No-one could believe what this 16 year old girl could do on court, and no-one knew where she came from, but she became an instant hit in the tennis world, and it was a matter of time before she broke into the top five.  Now I'm sure Maria wants to follow her own path, and be seen as Maria Sharapova, and not the next Kournikova, or Dokic for that matter.  However, the point I am attempting to make is that Sharapova is more likely to be a determined and strong tennis player rather than a glamourous cover girl / film star.

What happens next? -

Maria has been awarded a wild card for Wimbledon following her recent public attention, and depending on the draw, she could do quite some damage and further her reputation as a scorching hot prospect for the future.  Of course, she could come up against Serena Williams in the first round and leave the tournament still relatively unknown, but if her time doesn't come within the next year or two, then there will have to be a team of crack scientists appointed to figure out the reasoning behind this mystery.  On the public front, a strong performance at Wimbledon could well make Maria the best looking Russian tennis player amongst fans and an appearance in magazines such as 'FHM' is just around the corner.  There is hype coming from just about everywhere at the moment, and Maria is just one strong performance away from establishing herself as a superstar.  Whether she is ready for this is another matter altogether.  She's probably been preparing for this time for quite a while now, and it will be a huge obstacle to overcome.  One thing is guaranteed though, she cannot be hidden and protected by her caring entourage for a great deal longer. 

Stay tuned to the site for the latest news, results and information on Maria.

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Comments: glyn_james@maria-sharapova.net