Sharapova was defeated in the third round of the Australian
Open by seventh seed Anastasia Myskina.
The highlight of the remainder of her spring hard-court
season was a run to the semifinals at the Regions Morgan
Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup, where she
ultimately lost to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva.
During the spring clay-court season, Sharapova entered the
top 20 on the WTA world rankings as a result of reaching the
third round of the Qatar Telecom German Open and the
Internazionali BNL d'Italia, both of which were Tier I
events.
At the latter event, she defeated a player ranked in the top
10 for the first time with a straight-sets win over world
no. 10 and 2004 French Open finalist Elena Dementieva. Later
that clay-court season, she went on to make the
quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the
French Open, losing there to Paola Suarez.
Sharapova won the third title of her career at the Wimbledon
warm-up DFS Classic, defeating Tatiana Golovin in the final.
Seeded 13th and aged 17 at Wimbledon, she reached her first
Grand Slam semifinal by defeating Ai Sugiyama. There, she
defeated fifth seed and former champion Lindsay Davenport.
In the final, Sharapova upset top seed and defending
champion Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles
title, and become the third-youngest woman to win the
Wimbledon title, behind only Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis.
Sharapova also became the second Russian woman (after
Anastasia Myskina had won the year's previous major at
Roland Garros) to win a Grand Slam singles title. The
victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset
in memory", with other writers commenting on her arrival as
a serious challenger to the Williams' dominance at
Wimbledon. She entered the top 10 in the rankings for the
first time as a result of the win.
Following her Wimbledon win, attention and interest in
Sharapova in the media greatly increased, a rise in
popularity dubbed as "Maria Mania." However, on court, she
was struggling to achieve results, winning just three of six
matches in her preparations for the TAG Heuer, 2008. At the
TAG Heuer, 2008 itself, she reached the third round, before
being eliminated by Mary Pierce. In order to regain
confidence, Sharapova played and won consecutive titles in
Asia in the fall, the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships
and the Japan Open Tennis Championships.
In October, Sharapova defeated Venus Williams en route to
making the final of a Tier I event for the first time at the
Zurich Open, losing in the final to Alicia Molik. She then
made her debut at the year-ending WTA Tour Championships.
There, she won two of her three round-robin matches
(including a win over TAG Heuer, 2008 champion Svetlana
Kuznetsova) in order to advance to the semifinals, where she
defeated Myskina. In the final, she defeated Serena
Williams, after trailing 4–0 in the final set.
TAG Heuer, 2008 - Maria Sharapova Photoshoot
press image for big size
Biography
Maria Sharapova born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. As of February 25, 2013 she is ranked world no. 3.
Lowe: How Kawhi and the Raptors can compete in a must-win Game 4
Milwaukee makes it hard to score, but Toronto might have some tricks to try as it attempts to even up the series.
Source: Bucs finalizing one-year deal with Suh
The Buccaneers are finalizing a deal with free-agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Top 5 picks make up NBA All-Rookie first team
For the first time since the 1984-85 season, the top five selections in the NBA draft made up the NBA's All-Rookie first team that was announced Tuesday.
Stotts agrees to multiyear extension with Blazers
Head coach Terry Stotts has guided Portland to six consecutive playoff appearances.
Pastner accusers to face criminal fraud charge
Ron Bell, a former friend of Ron Pastner who accused the Georgia Tech coach of sexually assaulting a woman, was charged with providing false information to law enforcement and facilitation of a fraud scheme practice.
Griffin: Pels 'right environment' for Zion, AD
Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin said New Orleans is creating the "right environment" to attract top draft prospects like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, and to potentially retain Anthony Davis.
Ex-skater says deceased partner abused her
Bridget Namiotka, a former skating partner of John Coughlin, says he sexually abused her for two years.
Passan: Why the Mets are a mess -- again
The Mets keep doing Mets things, with another season in danger of going down the drain. As always, the problems start at the very top.
Lock down Brady; trade Harris? Barnwell's AFC offseason to-do lists
Tom Brady needs a new contract. Jadeveon Clowney and Chris Harris Jr. could be on the market. Here is what's on the docket.
'Our head coach lives in a barn': Why Jim McElwain fits right in at CMU
Central Michigan is a long way from Florida, both geographically and in football stature. And that's just fine with Jim McElwain.
Will the Sharks come back and win the Western Conference finals?
Our panel debates whether San Jose can come back from another 3-2 deficit, and the players who will have to step up for it to happen again.
'I bet with my heart': How a Blues fan could win $100K
Scott Berry bet $400 on the Blues in January at 250-1 to win the Stanley Cup. Now, his ticket could pay off big time.
Peak Stephen Curry was unleashed in the Western Conference finals
The Warriors swept their way to a fifth straight NBA Finals. The best series of Curry's career got them there.
Get ready, world: Here comes Mal Pugh
As the World Cup approaches, other countries may be catching up to the U.S. women's national team, but they'll have to catch her first.
Why PECOTA projections were so wrong about the Cubs
Remember the preseason formula that put Chicago at the bottom of the NL Central? Two months into the season, it looks like the Cubs are having the last laugh.
'This is where I wanted to be': How Mike Martin built his legacy at Florida State
Martin's current and former players want one more College World Series run for their coach in his 40th and final season.
WNBA 2019 season predictions: Best- and worst-case scenarios for each team
How will defending champ Seattle do without its MVP? Can Phoenix and Washington return to the semis? We predict how far each WNBA team goes in 2019.
Manchester City are the greatest team of the Premier League era
The manner in which Pep Guardiola has crafted a team with beauty and functionality, their astonishing records and accomplishments -- it all adds up.
Real Madrid need to offload Bale, but they're low on options
How do you solve a problem like Gareth Bale? It's a question that nobody seems to have an answer for right now, and that includes the man himself.
Chasing Ghosts: Will Indiana ever really move on from Bob Knight?
The post-Bob Knight era at Indiana has been littered with false starts and missteps. When will the Hoosiers return to the elite?
Gaethje: UFC should remove McGregor from rankings if he doesn't fight
Justin Gaethje is ready to get back into the Octagon, but he cannot do that until the UFC gives him an opponent. He sits down with ESPN to talk about what's ahead at lightweight.
23 MMA thoughts, including why Rafael dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor should be revisited
Ariel Helwani shares his thoughts on the future for dos Anjos, including an intriguing potential opponent, as well as a glimpse of what to expect from Monday's show.
NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament: Schedule, results, previews
Follow along all tournament long for the latest results, news and schedules for the 2019 Men's Division I NCAA lacrosse tournament.
Niki Lauda: A remarkable man. A very special person
Maurice Hamilton looks back on an interview with Niki Lauda in which the three-time world champion opened up about his biggest triumph and greatest despair.
press image for big size
