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.
US Open - 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.
After dispatching rival Florida in the regular-season finale last Saturday night, Florida State moved back into the top four behind Georgia, Michigan and Washington in the latest College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night.
Sources: Cuban, Adelson family talking Mavs deal
The Adelson family has had advanced discussions about buying a significant share of the Dallas Mavericks, sources told ESPN. Mark Cuban would remain governor of the franchise and in control of all basketball decisions.
Sources: Petrino agrees to be next Arkansas OC
Former Razorbacks head coach Bobby Petrino, 62, has agreed to become the next offensive coordinator at Arkansas, sources told ESPN's Chris Low.
Defamation suit against Cowboys' Jones refiled
A woman who says she is the daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has refiled a defamation case against the billionaire and two associates, alleging that they hatched a plan to portray her as an "extortionist."
Oregon State promotes DC Bray to head coach
Oregon State on Tuesday named Trent Bray the replacement for Jonathan Smith.
Vikings to start QB who can maximize Jefferson
The Vikings will spend the next few days deciding which of their three quarterbacks is -- among other things -- best suited to maximize Justin Jefferson's skills, coach Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday.
Colts star RB Taylor to undergo thumb surgery
Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor will undergo thumb surgery on Wednesday in Los Angeles, owner Jim Irsay told ESPN.
GM: Blackhawks cut Perry for 'workplace matter'
The Blackhawks said veteran winger Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct and took a step Tuesday toward terminating his contract.
CFP Anger Index: The eight teams that should be the most upset with their ranking
With Alabama and Texas playing in conference title games, all Ohio State has to do is sit back and watch it unfold.
Draymond's drama, CP3-Curry boost, Klay to bench? What's next for the Warriors
Draymond Green returns to the lineup, but it's just one of several issues the Warriors are trying to work through.
Men: Shaka Smart built Marquette from the ground up to a No. 1
The Golden Eagles join Big East partner and defending NCAA champion UConn as newcomers on the top line of this week's bracket, bumping Kansas and Tennessee in the process.
Women: Let the bid stealing begin
Princeton, FGCU and Green Bay are already worthy of at-large bids, if needed, in March. For now, that makes the Ivy, Horizon and ASUN two-bid leagues.
Updated NFL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus how every team is doing on offense, defense and special teams
Which team has entered the top 10? And we take stock of every team's offense, defense and special teams through 12 weeks.
Tiger Woods discusses return to golf, game's future and more
Tiger Woods talked about his decision to return to golf, his thoughts about the game's future and more in his most recent Q&A at the Hero World Challenge.
It's all falling apart for AC Milan, and their Champions League run may be over soon
AC Milan's entire Champions League campaign has been about might-have-beens and close calls, but it's exposing uncomfortable truths as well.
Who can break the sack record? Who has millions at stake?
Which players have a legitimate shot at the NFL sack record of 22.5, and who are the long shots?
Updated playoff picture: AFC, NFC seed projections after Week 12
The end of the NFL regular season is approaching, and we're looking ahead to how the 14-team playoff picture could line up en route to Super Bowl LVIII.
How MLS is trying to eradicate player-on-player racial abuse
Kai Wagner's racial slur directed at Bobby Wood was the third such incident in MLS in 2023, but the league has a plan to curb discriminatory abuse.
The incredible rise of Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, from benched to irreplaceable
Not long ago, the Tide's quarterback situation was full of uncertainty. Now it's hard to imagine where Bama would be without Milroe.
Tracking the transfer portal: Latest news on who's in and out
We're tracking college football players who intend to transfer to new schools for the 2024 season, including several starting quarterbacks.
How Galatasaray plan on shocking Man United again in Champions League
In 1993, Man United went to Galatasaray needing a win to advance in the Champions League, only to be knocked out amid a hostile atmosphere. This week's trip has the same stakes: here's how the Turkish side will look to secure another shock win.
Team of the Week: Torres, Onana, Rodrygo star
ESPN and WhoScored brings you the best players from around Europe's top five leagues.
Transfer Talk: Manchester United looking to move on from Mason Mount
Mason Mount only joined Manchester United in July, but form and injury woes mean the midfielder's future at Old Trafford is already uncertain. Transfer Talk has the latest.
NFL Nation fallout: Add Jayden Reed? Concern for Chase?
Our reporters answer key questions.
Week 13 injury tracker: Kenneth Walker III doesn't practice, questionable for Thursday
Plus, updates on Tee Higgins, Rashid Shaheed and Baker Mayfield.
College Football Playoff, Heisman Trophy odds and more
College football futures, including Heisman Trophy odds, conference championship odds and more.
Waiver wire pickups: Depth chart changes in Atlanta, Miami
The fantasy basketball waiver wire always has players who can help fill holes on your roster. Here are the ones to add before it's too late.
Rankings: Head-to-head points
An updated look at the top 200 fantasy players in H2H points leagues.
Week 7 preview: Important line changes in New York, Colorado
Notes, pickups and trends from around the NHL before your fantasy hockey lineups lock this week.
press image for big size
