From 2003, Sharapova played a full season and made a rapid
climb into the top 50 by the end of the year. She made her
debuts at both the Australian Open and the French Open, but
failed to win a match in either.
It was not until the grass season that she began to fulfill
her promise, beating a top-20 player for the first time and
reaching her first semifinal at the WTA level.
Then, as a wildcard at Wimbledon, she defeated 11th seed
Jelena Dokić to reach the fourth round, where she lost in
three sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
By the end of September, Sharapova had already captured her
first WTA title at a smaller event, the Japan Open Tennis
Championships, before winning her second in her final
tournament of the season, the Bell Challenge. To cap off her
first full season as a professional, she was awarded the WTA
Newcomer of the Year honor.
Maria Sharapova with Camilla Belle in Miami - Maria Sharapova Photoshoot
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Biography
Maria Sharapova born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. As of February 25, 2013 she is ranked world no. 3.
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