Wimbledon hikes total prize money

Wimbledon prize money will approach $20 million this summer, with the men's champion earning $50,000 more than the women's winner. The total figure for the June 20-July 3 tournament is going up 3.9 percent to $19.16 million at current exchange rates, the highest prize money for a tennis tournament, the All England Club said Tuesday .Players are benefiting from the rising value of the British pound against the American dollar.

The men's champion will get $1.19 million while the women's winner will receive $1.14 million. Total prize money for the men's singles and doubles will be $9.56 million and $8.17 million for the women. The balance will go to mixed doubles and invitational events. Last year, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer became the first $1 million Wimbledon winners. Maria Sharapova's prize was worth $1.002 million in July 2004. Мария (Маша) Шарапова

Maria will play at this summer's Rogers Cup

Maria Sharapova, the defending Wimbledon champion, is 22-3 in singles play so far this season, capturing titles in Tokyo and Doha, Qatar.

She lost to Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the quarter-finals at last year's Rogers Cup in Montreal and was a first-round loser to Elena Likhovtseva of Russia at the 2003 event in Toronto. "As a top Tier I tournament, the Rogers Cup is a very important date on my summer calendar," Maria said in a release. "The Rogers Cup is a key event amongst the U.S. Open Series and will also be the best way for me to prepare for the U.S. Open." The complete 56-player main draw entry list for the Rogers Cup is expected to be announced next week. The tournament will be held Aug. 13-21 at Toronto's Rexall Centre. Мария (Маша) Шарапова

Russian Female Tennis Players Set up Fed Cup Semi-Final With U.S.

Elena Dementieva of Russia saved four match points against Italy’s Francesca Schiavone Sunday in Brindisi, Italy, to guide champions Russia into a Fed Cup semi-final against the United States, Reuters reports.

World number one Lindsay Davenport completed a clinical U.S. victory against a below-strength Belgium team, claiming a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Els Callens to give her country an unassailable 3-0 lead before Venus Williams beat Leslie Butkiewicz 6-1, 6-4.

“We were all talking about playing Russia this morning, so I just had to get us through”, Davenport told the agency.

Dementieva, the world number five, was on the back foot in the first set against an aggressive Schiavone who won it 6-4. However, the Italian lost her nerve when presented with her match points in the second set and the tie break went Dementieva’s way 7-2. Then, she was routed in the third set to lose 4-6, 7-6, 6-0.

Russia’s Elena Bovina beat Maria-Elena Camerin of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the final singles to secure the Russians a place in the last four and a clash with the United States.

“I never had any fear of losing not even during those four match points against me,” said Dementieva, who was a losing French and U.S. Open finalist last year. “Francesca produced a great performance, probably the best of her career so far.”

Russia were missing their three grand slam singles champions — Anastasia Myskin, Maria Sharapova and Elena Kuznetsova — against Italy, although one or more of the trio should return for the showdown with the Williams sisters and Davenport.

Мария (Маша) Шарапова

Happy Birthday, Maria!

Have a great and special day! I wish you a happy birthday and hope your dream come true. Happy Birthday, Maria!

Maria Sharapova Мария (Маша) Шарапова

Maria offered "desperate role"

Maria Sharapova has reportedly been offered a role on Desperate Housewives.

She was overheard at her 18th birthday party saying she had been offered a guest role on the hit series. Maria Sharapova
Мария (Маша) Шарапова

Maria Sharapova Tennis Announced

Global mobile game publisher announced its new label name - I-play along with the signing of Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova for its upcoming tennis mobile game.

According to the game company, Maria, who turns 18 on April 19, will front a new mobile game, titled "I-play Maria Sharapova Tennis", soon to be available across Europe, Asia Pacific and North America. “Tennis is a sport that everyone should be able to enjoy across any format, and by using my name in a mobile gaming context, I hope that tennis fans will be able to share my passion, whatever the weather or conditions of play,” said Maria.

“As part of our drive to create mobile games for everyone, we are very pleased to bring an athlete of huge, global appeal like Maria Sharapova to mobile gaming. The game will be simple to play but difficult to master, just like tennis itself, and we are very much looking forward to working with our distribution partners as well as other Maria Sharapova marketing partners to bring it to as wide an audience as possible,” said Paul Maglione, Senior Vice President of Publishing and Marketing for I-play.
Мария (Маша) Шарапова

Maria beats V. Williams to reach Miami final

Maria Sharapova straight- setted former world No. 1 Venus Williams on Thursday to reach the final at the $3.06 million NASDAQ-100 Open. The second-seeded Maria Sharapova handled the eighth-seeded Williams 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour, 17 minutes amid sun-drenched conditions at Crandon Park. Maria will meet top-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo or unseeded Belgian Kim Clijsters in Saturday's lucrative final here, with the winner taking home $400,000.

Maria and Venus were locked in a tight duel in the opening set before the Russian broke the American's serve to claim the stanza at 6-4. A determined Maria Sharapova wound up winning five straight games on her way to a comfortable 3-0 lead in the second set. Venus had six break-point chances in the final game of the match, but Maria saved them all and closed out the American on her third match point when one final Venus backhand sailed long.
"At this point I don't care who I play," said Maria Sharapova, minutes after beating Williams. "I'm in the final and I feel fantastic. "I was serving a little bit better in the first set and then she made a few errors in that game. From that point on I gained a lot of confidence. I think we both of fought to the end. So many points were so big. I'm a big competitor and I love to fight. Everyone is hungry and everyone wants to beat me so I know that I have to be that way if I want to win."

Maria Sharapova will appear in her third final in five events this season, as she's already claimed titles in Tokyo and Doha. Мария (Маша) Шарапова