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THE TennisReporters.net NEWSLETTER:
tuesDAY, novemBER 9, No. 103
The heat is on for Sharapova
Maria alleges official balls are
causing injuries; columnist criticizes using 17-year-old in billboard
poses; Serena on the billboard: 'She looks really hot. ... I hate
to say it, but sex sells'
By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net
Canon, WTA Tour |
FROM THE WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN
LA – On Monday, Maria Sharapova was all smiles while bouncing
down Santa Monica Boulevard, greeting a reporter with an enthusiastic
"Hi" and a huge smile just a few hours after it was
announced that she signed an estimated $6 million deal with Canon.
On Tuesday, the 17-year-old superstar
was a fine mood in the morning while being raced around the parking
lot of the Staples Center in the back of a brand new Porsche.
But by 1 p.m., the Wimbledon's champion's mood had changed. First,
she was drilled by a Los Angeles Times columnist about
the appropriateness of her WTA Championships billboard, "The
closer you sit, the hotter it gets."
Then, the frustrated Russian decided
to launch a few bombs to the press in regards to the heaviness
WTA Tour's official ball, Tretorn, which she alleges has caused
her recent pectoral and shoulder injuries. Send in the frowns.
Before LA Times columnist TJ Simers let loose on Sharapova,
he approached Serena Williams to comment on whether it was appropriate
for a 17-year-old to be placed in a sexy pose in order to sell
tickets. A father of two girls, the columnist thinks it's wrong.
Fashion queen Serena, who has pushed the envelope with her outfits
far beyond what Sharapova has worn, seemed to be of two minds.
"This is a hot picture," Serena said when looking at
the billboard. "She looks really hot. I love her legs in
this picture. I think it's awesome.... She's not being sold in
this picture. It's a wonderful picture. [But] if you're not ready
to sell pictures, than you shouldn't be part of the tournament.
… I hate to say it, but sex sells. It's unfortunate that
if you're a female actress, or singer, it's always the sexiest
ones that are selling more tickets."
Simers then approached Sharapova, telling her that he has daughters
and knows about 17-year-olds. Did the provocativeness of the billboard
bother her?
"I don't pay attention to it," she said. "The billboard
is great. I don't worry about what they are selling."
SMASHING THE BALLS
Somewhat stunned, she then shot down a question as to whether
she has any superstitions. Then she was asked what the root of
the shoulder injury was that caused her to pull out before her
semifinal in Philadelphia against Amelie Mauresmo. Her answers
were quite provocative.
"I started feeling pain in my pectoral in Zurich and we were
playing with Tretorn," she said. " I couldn't serve
and needed to take a few days off. After that, I took a break
and there was no pain. At first I didn't think it was the balls,
but then I went to train with different balls for a week and I
was fine, playing indoors under the same conditions and nothing
was bothering me. Then I got to Philadelphia and we were playing
with Tretorn and I started feeling pain in my arm again."
Susan Mullane/
Camerawork USA |
| Maria's sex appeal is complimented by the
Wimbledon trophy. |
After Zurich, Sharapova went to
the Tour and asked them to consider using different balls, a difficult
request considering the tour has a three-year deal with Tretorn.
This week, the 17-year-old superstar asked the tour not to use
Tretorn, but to no avail. Sources told TennisReporters.net
that when she was turned down, she said she was going to take
her case to the press.
"They are heavy on my arm," said Sharapova. "It’s
something that the tour and [CEO] Larry Scott have to look into.
The most important thing is figuring out which ball isn't going
to injure players. It's very important to help the players who are
injured. Even if other players like Tretorn and aren't getting injured
and they want to stay with Tretorn, I think the best thing is to
help the girls who are getting injured. I'm sure the tour doesn't
want anyone injured."
Especially it's most marketable teenager. But WTA Tour spokesman
Darrell Fry said after Sharapova went to them with her complaints,
the tour went back and consulted experts and other players as
to whether the balls had become a problem. Few players had similar
problems.
"There's no correlation at all between player injuries and
Tretorn balls," Fry said. "Our players' health is first
and foremost on our minds. That's why we conducted blind tests
with dozens of players last year to find the best ball, which
turned out to be Tretorn. If there are complaints in the future,
we'll look into them."
VERA AGREES, OTHERS DON’T
However, it's not just Sharapova who's complaining.
Another Top-10 player, Vera Zvonareva, said she wants to see a change.
"I think we should have lighter balls for every tournament
that's good on any surface," Zvonareva said. "In Philadelphia,
my arm was sore and I had trouble with my left wrist, which I haven't
had in a while. A lot of this depends on the surface. If you have
heavy balls on a slow surface, you have time to prepare. But in
Philadelphia, the surface was faster and a lot of times you aren't
in a good position, so you have to use your arm and wrist more.
That's why the pain might come."
Both Amelie Mauresmo and Anastasia Myskina disagreed. Mauresmo says
she doesn't feel a difference in the balls that are being used now
and those that were used last year. Myskina said it's time forget
about it. "We just have to play and not complain about it,"
Myskina said. "I've had pain before and you get used to playing
in pain."
Sharapova says she learned since Wimbledon that you can't always
get what you want. She might be on the losing side in the balls
issue, but is still willing to play her cards, which are at least
a full house, if you consider what a gigantic box office attraction
that she's become. Remember, she's the one on the billboards, the
one who tournament owners Octagon, AEG and to some the degree the
WTA believes can help make the 2005 WTA Championships a success.
So when Sharapova says that the tour needs to make sure that not
it's inadvertently injuring her, she's slyly noting that if the
too-heavy balls force her off the tour, there will no long-legged
blonde gracing San Monica Boulevard next year. She may be just 17,
but she's wiser than her years. The closer you sit, the smarter
she gets.
"The most important lessons I learned this year were: You can't
be perfect; how to handle popularity and never give up," Sharapova
said.
Wilson, anyone?
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