Re: [女娃] 莎拉波娃將錯過雪梨國際網球巡迴賽

tyruschen

Teen star misses Sydney By Leo Schlink 23 dec 04 TENNIS starlet Maria Sharapova will be restricted to just one Australian summer circuit appearance – the centenary Australian Open next month – because of sport's age eligibility restrictions. The world No.4 – already a Wimbledon champion and winner of the elite Women's Tennis Association Championships – cannot yet play a full schedule because she is still 17. Restricted to a total of 22 events between her 17th and 18th birthdays – which she will celebrate on April 19 – Sharapova has already appeared in 15 tournaments. 主要是上面這一段.... And, with an aim to usurping American Lindsay Davenport as world No.1, the Russian is focusing on tournaments offering the most ranking points. The programming squeeze has caused the unflappable right-hander to bypass the rich Medibank Private International (January 9-15) at Homebush Bay, where nine of the world's top 12 competitors will do battle. When asked why Sharapova had not bothered to enter Sydney, her agent Max Eisenbud said: "Just didn't fit into her schedule." WTA spokesman John Dolan confirmed Sharapova would instead play an exhibition in Hong Kong in the first week of January. "I think she likes having a week off before a slam," he said. Sharapova will use the week of the Sydney tournament to practise at Melbourne Park, where she hopes to add the Australian Open to a relentless Russian purge of the majors. Until Anastasia Myskina won the French Open at Roland Garros in May, no Russian woman had prevailed in the highest arenas. Sharapova quickly followed, stunning defending champion Serena Williams in straight sets at the All-England Club before Svetlana Kuznetskova downed compatriot Elena Dementieva in the US Open at Flushing Meadow. Given her heroics at the WTA season-ender in Los Angeles, Sharapova will confident of creating more mayhem at Rod Laver Arena from January 17-30. The statuesque baseliner won 55 of 70 matches, landing five singles titles and more than $US2.5million prizemoney – a season-topping figure dwarfed by her marketing harvest. Already backed by Nike and Prince, Siberian-born Sharapova has now signed an endorsement deal with watchmaker Tag Heuer. Her Wimbledon victory completed the ultimate rags to riches tale. She was wisked to Florida to train by her almost bankrupt father Yuri when she was only nine, leading to a two-year separation from her mother Yelena because of immigration and financial problems. First spotted by Martina Navratilova during a Moscow exhibition, Sharapova has rocketed to fame after honing her game at Nick Bollettieri's famed Bradenton tennis ranch. Her marketability has seen her sign with IMG models. Sharapova was beaten in the third round of the last Australian Open by Myskina in a tight three-setter. -- http://superstadium.net/phpBB2/index.php -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.187.19.124