MOSCOW, 6 July 2004 — Move over, Anna Kournikova.
Teenage sensation Maria Sharapova has replaced the glamour girl of tennis as Russia’s newest sweetheart following her dream run to the Wimbledon title.
The 17-year-old Siberian blonde has become an instant hit back home, hailed as the country’s biggest star, her picture gracing the front page of almost every national newspaper.
“Maria, Queen of England,” exclaimed leading sports daily Sovietsky Sport yesterday. “Beautiful Masha. She became the first Russian to win the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament,” echoed the respected Kommersant.
“Russian tennis achieved its biggest success on Saturday,” wrote the business daily in its front-page editorial.
In only her second visit to Wimbledon, Sharapova became the third youngest champion in the event’s 120-year history.
The Russian became the first 13th seed to win the title and only Monica Seles and Tracy Austin had won grand slam titles with less experience of top flight tennis.
“Nobody bet on Maria but she won the super tournament as well as a million dollars,” said popular tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.
But it was Sharapova’s youthful exuberance, good looks and sex appeal that made her a crowd favorite at the All England Club and wildly popular back home.
Although she moved to the United States at the age of seven and speaks her native language with a distinct foreign accent, Russians have adopted Sharapova as truly one of their own. During the fortnight, her fairy tale story has been rewritten and discussed by most newspapers and talk shows.
Sharapova’s Wimbledon triumph has even helped lift the gloom among millions of Russian fans following the country’s disappointing showing at Euro 2004.
“So what if England has Wayne Rooney,” said Nikolai, 31, a kiosk vender in central Moscow, of the 18-year-old England striker, who became a real revelation in Portugal.
“We have our Masha to be proud of. Besides, she’s much better looking anyway.”
