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http://sport.guardian.co.uk/wimbledon2006/story/0,,1809508,00.html
Supercool Sharapova is outed as a closet 'dork'
Eleanor Preston ---- Friday June 30, 2006
(snip) --It is perhaps surprising to hear that Maria Sharapova has more than a passing interest in philately, because somehow the thought of her being a stamp collector in her spare time seems at odds with her image as tennis's supercool fashionista.
After brushing aside Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-2 to earn a place in the third round yesterday, Sharapova was faced with a series of probing questions on her hobby and for a second she almost seemed flustered.
"Oh, God, stop. Everyone's calling me a dork now," she said, before revealing, semi-seriously, that her agent had banned her from talking about it for fear that her sponsors might start frantically searching for geekiness clauses in her endorsement contracts.
"We're getting emails from, like, stamp collecting magazines asking if I can do an interview. I mean, it's just a hobby," said Sharapova. "I'm actually good at telling stories but that is one I should have never talked about.
Oh, my goodness. Let's get off this subject, because I'm going to be an absolute geek tomorrow." It is somehow reassuring to think that Sharapova has a nerdy side that she is anxious to conceal. Being outed as a stamp collector was about the only time she showed any sign of vulnerability yesterday.
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LOL........... I really like this young lady.
I sense she's a bit uneasy trading on her looks. Would much rather rely solely on her tennis. But she's torn. She's driven to succeed and she knows her looks are part of the product. Interestingly, neither attribute is very durable. Joints fail and beauty fades.