Maria Sharapova Wins 2nd Major Title

nws,yahoo.com ^ | 9/9/06 | Howard Fendrich

[beyond the sea]

NEW YORK - Maria Sharapova began the U.S. Open with as much buzz about her sponsorships as her strokes, as much talk about her getups as her game.

She's long insisted she's more about substance than style, though, and now she owns a second Grand Slam title to prove it.

Better on the biggest points all night, the third-seeded Sharapova beat No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open final Saturday to add a follow-up championship to her breakthrough title at Wimbledon in 2004.

"I experienced it two years ago, and I knew that I wasn't done," Sharapova said. "I had a lot more in me."

What Sharapova had on this night was a lot more force on nearly every shot, from groundstrokes to serves to returns. She faced only one break point all match, broke Henin-Hardenne three times, and compiled a 20-15 edge in winners.

"She's been a real fighter tonight," said Henin-Hardenne, who would have moved up to No. 1 with a victory. "The better player won tonight."

Quite a concession from the Belgian, who leads the tour this season in matches won (54), Grand Slam matches won (25) and tournament titles (five). She was the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach a year's four major finals.

"She didn't give me a lot of opportunities," Henin-Hardenne said.

[NinoFan]

Come on now... enough about Sharapova. ;) Where's the love for Roddick who is really kicking butt now that Jimmy Connors is his coach? Tomorrow's Men's Final should be very interesting.

[FreedomCalls]

This thread is useless without pictures.

[beyond the sea]

ping

She played beautifully ............ finally...... and looked great too.

Anyone know how to post these images (I'm computer illiterate), please feel free. They are from last night.

****

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060910/photos_ts/2006_09_10t005306_318x450_us_tennis_open

****

The long and short of it.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060910/483/xnyf31309100332

****

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060910/483/xnyf30209100316

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060910/483/xnyf28609100248

[beyond the sea]

Yeh, it's great to see Jimmy over there on the side. He's quite a character. Here's betting Jimmy can still play a little tennis.

And you're right, Roddick has improved quite a bit with Jim by his side.

[lmr]

She is the NEW ANNA

Damn Girl!

The Religion Of Pieces

Especially made for the 9/11 Fifth Anniversary

5 Minute Video

Warning: Graphic Content

[beyond the sea]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060802/483/476b6d4cc864410da4b463ad482181b2

[beyond the sea]

oops.

[MilesVeritatis]

I feel pretty, simply pretty....Gruuaaaaahhhh!!!

[beyond the sea]

http://www.mariaworld.net/magcover5.jpg

[beyond the sea]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1164827/posts

This is a great thread for pictures of Maria, but I don't know how to post images (no, don't try to teach me, I'm read stupid in this arena).

;-)

[lmr]

Sorry, I can't resist... She can "whack" my tennis b*lls anytime she wishes.

[lmr]

I am a realist, living here in reality-land... It is inconceivable. Wait, a call from by bed... She beckons me.

[FreedomPoster]

>>She is the NEW ANNA

She's an Anna who can really *PLAY* and *WIN* top-flite tennis.

[FreedomCalls]

[jjbrouwer]

Connors has certainly helped Roddick. But I can't really see any way Andy can beat Federer, who is the greatest tennis player I have ever seen. If he does, then he deserves it.

I think Federer will win in four sets.

[ChadGore]

http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/204157b00.jpg

[SauronOfMordor]

[BushCountry]

[Crazieman]

Linked because picture is too big

[JillValentine]

The great tragedy of Anna is that she's made it harder for attractive people to be taken seriously as athletes, even when they are truly talented.

Liberals delude themselves into believing that beauty and intelligence/athleticism/success are mutually exclusive (maybe to make themselves feel better about being ugly?) Conservatives know that the opposite is true.

[evad]

Where's the love for Roddick who is really kicking butt now that Jimmy Connors is his coach?

I don't normally watch tennis but I happened to catch Roddick vs Hewitt. I don't know who he's facing in the final (probably Federer) but he better come up with something on his backhand besides a cut shot.

Other than that, he looks awesome

[beyond the sea]

That's a great one, thanks ......... but just a little too much eye-makeup for the beach, if you ask me.

;-)

Please post the S.I. pic of her sitting and talking with the photographer (who looks a little like Steven Speilberg).

;-)

Heck....... post them all!!!!

;-)

[raybbr]

[raybbr]

I wonder if she's screaming.....?

[beyond the sea]

I think you're right, Federer is an artist out there.

By the way...... watch Justin Rose choke today in Canada on the PGA tour. I can see it on his English face. My man Jim Furyk (the man whose swing has been described as that of a one-armed man trying to kill a snake in a telephone booth) just may pull another one off.

And I remember when you arrogantly informed me last year, as only you can, that Furyk wasn't so good at all.

LOL. Sure, only #2 on the money list.

LOL.

jj....... you're still one of the greatest.

[beyond the sea]

Yoi, there is a God!

Man...... that is fabulous!!!

Thank you. That should cheer up some sports fans on Sunday morning.

;-)

[beyond the sea]

May I apply the oil?

[raybbr]

What's to love about Roddick? He's become Sampras - boring to watch. Watching him and Hewitt play was like watching Pong. No semblance of human beings but rather to computer generated players hitting from the baseline.

[beyond the sea]

This is the most beautiful athlete who ever lived........... and, she loves America.

[beyond the sea]

Oh yes. I saw that one a while back. That is one incredibly beautiful picture!

[beyond the sea]

OH yes........ those green eyes:

****

"On the court she reminded me of the margay, a small wild cat, like a miniature leopard, that lives in the jungles of Central America. Her emerald-green eyes had the look of a creature who you knew would never quite belong to anyone but herself. She was still only “peanut-sized”, as her father, Yuri, called her, with long, skinny legs and arms, corn-blonde hair, braces on her teeth and a dusting of freckles on her nose. But when she went to strike the ball, her little cat-face would bunch into a snarl, her body would coil itself like a spring behind her racket, she would hurl herself at the ball and, with an ear-splitting banshee scream that sent shivers down your spine, unleash a laser-guided ground stroke." - Simon Worrall

[beyond the sea]

The great tragedy of Anna is that she's made it harder for attractive people to be taken seriously as athletes

I know you are not trying to be funny...... but that is pretty funny!

LOL

[beyond the sea]

Don't show that one to Clinton.

;-)

[mitchbert]

Thanks for the thread. Great match. I play and this has been a great Open. Cheers, eh!

[beyond the sea]

Watching him and Hewitt play was like watching Pong.

By the way..... a serious question..... you saw that ad for PONG during these tennis broadcasts, right???

Why don't high level tennis players ever resort to serving (every once in a while) underhanded like he does on the commercial.

Damn, those are tough to return!!!

[beyond the sea]

ping

[Moose4]

She's better than Anna. And if she keeps her priorities straight, balancing tennis and all her other interests better than Anna did (and barring injuries, of course), there's no reason she can't win a couple more Grand Slam tournaments.

}:-)4

[FreedomPoster]

Have you not seen the speed of the high-level tennis players?

That might work exactly once. Then they'd eat you alive.

[evad]

Damn, those are tough to return!!!

heh..for you and me maybe.

A pro would cram that down our throats :)

[FReepaholic]

I have to turn the sound off when she's playing. Her loud squeal/grunt on every shot gets on my nerves.

[beyond the sea]

Have you not seen the speed of the high-level tennis players? That might work exactly once. Then they'd eat you alive.

That comment is just plain foolish.

Once (btw) is enough.

If you played tennis (well), by the way, you would know differently. The only thing a player receiving serve (not expecting a serve like that) could do with it would be to rush forward and try to return it by lifting it over the net.

Get real ................ or go to a badminton thread.

btw.... badminton is a great game too.

;-)

[xp38]

And then came her at-times petulant postmatch news conference, which Sharapova began by saying, "Let's make this a positive session tonight, please. Por favor." She got into a bit of a testy exchange with reporters who asked about the apparent signals sent by Yuri and Joyce about when to eat bananas or sip drinks at changeovers (coaching isn't allowed).

All of which led to a sentence that it's fair to say had never been uttered by a Grand Slam champion. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana," Sharapova said.

"It's not about what I wear. It's not about the friends that I have. My career right now is about winning a tennis match. And right now, I'm sitting here as a U.S. Open champion, and the last thing I think people need to worry about is a banana."

[avile]

The more I see of these beautiful Russian as well as Polish women , I wonder why the Nazis hated them . I mean they are more aryan looking. than many Germans.

[beyond the sea]

Nope............... by the time they realized it was over the net.... they'd only be able to lift it over the net before the second bounce (no way you could turn that ball over).

I used to do it in some tournaments around PA with some damn good players. They hated it. We all got a lot of laughs out of it later over some suds.

;-)

[Lee'sGhost]

Well, I'm pretty sure she isn't moaning.

[beyond the sea]

I don't like it either, and I think the folks in charge should give her a certain amount of time (like a year) to control all that noise. It's just wrong.

Heck.... Tiger hates it when a cellphone goes off!

;-)

[evad]

ha ha..ok. If you say so.

[beyond the sea]

"She got into a bit of a testy exchange with reporters who asked about the apparent signals sent by Yuri and Joyce about when to eat bananas or sip drinks at changeovers (coaching isn't allowed).

All of which led to a sentence that it's fair to say had never been uttered by a Grand Slam champion. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana," Sharapova said."

----- Just don't let Clinton see her eating a banana. By the way... there is a great picture of Maria eating a banana..... I'll try to find it.

[beyond the sea]

No ........ REALLY.... think about it. There really is NOTHING that can be done about a soft "serve" underhanded. It loops over the net and hardly bounces up. Trust me....... it is effective. I just wonder if it's against the rules now.