Posted on 09/10/2006 1:32:15 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
;)
Of course I will also, (reluctantly), root for Roddick.
Little black bow or no little black bow. ;)
Great serve ... without the long pre-serve routine. Don't think he'll win, though.
Pretty butch... but the manliest female tennis player on the tour is the well-built but lantern-jawed Mary Pierce. Oy! She looks like Geddy Lee in a tennis skirt.
Good game, though.
Maria Sharpova is talented, attractive, and undoubtedly the phenom of the era, but she's till not the best all-around women's player. That'd be Linsay Davenport.
No sweat.
That's what we're here for..... I love you ..... because you are a FReeper!
We all disagree on things at times ....... at least we can still be friends.
Thom
p.s. ....... Now, can you arrange a nice date with Maria ................ for my nephew?
;-)
I do not think she looks at all like a man, but I see what you and others want to see. It's her chin that seems a little manly.
Nevertheless she has one beautiful, fine body ......... great shapely swimmer's legs, fine long and graceful arms, and a lovely ....... nevermind.
If I had a week with her...... she'd be a heterosexual once more. I'd even let her win a set or two.
;-)
You managed to pick some of the ugliest pictures of Amelie you could happen to find. That is an art.
Send out you resumes.
But I know better..................
****
Ok, ok Maria, I'll get the oil.
By the way, your dad is pulling up in the driveway.
;-)
Is there something in your life that you are hiding?????
hmmm...not a good start
Looks like the trace of an adams apple to me...what say ye??
She just couldn't figure out how to beat Steffi!! IIRC, Hingis didn't want to come out for the trophy ceremony, but her mom made her!!
Definitely not Martina's finest moment. LOL
I think Steffi retired shortly thereafter.
Look at the date that picture and story was published. April 1st, 2006. Anything significant about that date?
"Roddick is doing well........ but he's playing a genius."
I like Roddick too, but I still think he lacks something. Maturity, thinking ability, something. Maybe Connors will wise him up.
Federer is awfully good, maybe the best ever. He's a really smart player. Maybe the smartest.
Sampras was kind of boring. Good, but lacking charisma or personality.
It's a tough call, but I think Federer will win. I like em both.
"I like a "boring" economy moving along at a boring 4% growth rate."
There's "good" boring, and then you got yer "bad" boring.
4% is good boring. Keep it going.
She might look like a man, but she doesn't like em if you know what I mean, nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
I think it's great that Sharapova beat 2 Frenchies (I know Justine is a Belge)especially Mauresmo.
I never found myself rooting for Sampras... ever. I just couldn't connect with the guy at all. And after what I saw him do at the Pilot Pen in his last appearance... Well, let's just say he's a creep.
From a post of mine on another thread:
He (Rafter is a nice guy) is. We saw him lose at the Pilot Pen to some French guy. Rafter was gracious in his loss. Immediately we went to the stadium and saw Sampras lose within fifteen minutes. He stomped off the court and was heard by several people to say, "What the "f" am I doing here?"
My wife's brother was the player chef that year and we went to visit him down by the stadium entrance. It's blocked by security but my wife talked us in. (I also got a pass to the tournament because of volunteering for Grass Roots tennis as a coach.)
We sat down and ate lunch. Afterward we were sitting relaxing and all of a sudden Rafter came out and went to one of the two trailers parked outside the stadium entrance. She almost freaked. She loved Rafter and thought he was the greatest.
I told her that when he comes out she should go get his autograph. She was so nervous she couldn't think. Well, Rafter came out and walked back into the stadium and she couldn't move. I told her, "You should have done something. You'll probably never get another chance."
We sat there and she was complaining about how she didn't do anything. Here he came again. He walked out of the stadium and went into the other trailer.
Now she got real nervous wondering what she should do. I told her that she better do something this time. Well, he came out and went back into the stadium and wouldn't you know it - she froze.
I said "You had two chances and you didn't do anything." She was almost in tears.
While we were sitting there this woman came down with her two young sons. They went to the guard to find out if Sampras would be coming out and if they could get to see him. The guard went in to find out.
Now guess what? Rafter came out again and went into the first trailer again. The two young boys stopped him and asked for his autograph. He told them to wait there he would be out in a minute.
I told her she better get off her butt and go talk to him. She was shaking she was so nervous.
While we were waiting for Rafter to come back out of the trailer the guard came out and told the young boys that Sampras was too upset to talk to anyone. They were disappointed but they also knew Rafter would be coming back out.
Sure enough, Rafter came out and stopped and talked to the boys and gave them his autograph. I pushed my wife up and told to go talk to him. She did. She got his autograph and talked to him. I took some pictures and he came and sat at the table with us and even offered to sit and drink a beer with us. We declined but talked to him for a few minutes. I wished him well at the U.S Open (he went on to win his first that year), we shook hands and he went back in to the stadium.
Like a dummy I never handed my camera to my wife so she could get a picture of he an I together.
He was so nice that I really wanted to ask him if he would be interested in playing some but I chickened out. He probably would have.
Sampras then came out of the stadium, ignored everyone that tried to talk to him and got in his van to go to the hotel.
To this day I believe Sampras has been a jerk his whole career. It's sad that someone with so much talent could feel that it was okay to treat people with such disregard. While on the other hand you have someone like Rafter who recognizes that he has a special talent and could still relate to people around him.
I miss watching Rafter play. Serve and volley is my game, too. The best I ever saw was Edberg when he beat Sampras at the U.S Open in '92. Edberg was smooth and graceful. He always knew where the next shot was going. Rafter did it with sheer athleticism and power. I really love watching a serve and volley player. They are the best.
Martina is amazing...still playing and playing well!
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