LONDON (Reuters) - In a sport spoiled for Czarinas, one Russian tennis player has emerged as queen of the court. As comfortable gracing the catwalk as she is prowling the great sporting stages, Maria Sharapova's coronation at the WTA Tour Championships on Monday came as a timely shot in the arm to the sport's administrators and sponsors alike. In just 12 short months the Siberian teenager has become not only Wimbledon champion and winner of the season-ending jamboree, but the face of women's tennis. It is a striking face that pulls in crowds and helps to promote tennis worldwide.Never mind that she does not make the cut for a Russian Fed Cup team awash with tennis talent, Sharapova -- like Anna Kournikova before her -- has the x-factor.
But Sharapova, characteristically, was unfazed. "I don't care what they sell," the ice maiden said coolly. If her psyche is as hard to penetrate as the permafrost of her homeland, her tennis ability is on show for all to see. Monday's victory earned her a check for $1 million -- the largest payday in women's sport -- and it was earned with a mesmerizing mix of movement and power.
She hits the ball harder than French Open champion and fellow Russian Anastasia Myskina. She moves better than U.S. Open champion and third member of the Russian grand slam troika Svetlana Kuznetsova. On top of this, her big-match temperament is rock solid.
After losing the first set, Sharapova had crept back into the STAPLES Center by rattling off five straight games in the second to even the match at a set apiece, but all that effort seemed to be going to waste and the Russian teenager's chances looked to be trickling away. Williams' lead seemed to baffle many in attendance, including Sharapova. Her normal 100-plus mph first serves had dwindled down in the 80s and some even in the 70s due to the pain she was feeling in her stomach.
But Williams still had one tool in her utility belt that was proving must useful - some punishing groundstrokes that limited Sharapova's ability to keep the ball in bounds. After building a 3-0 lead, the American then used a pair of off-pace, but well-placed aces to help her grab a fourth straight game to start the decisive set, while Sharapova finally got on the board in the next game, but still trailed 4-1. Sharapova then collected her first break of the final set to move within 4-2 and appeared to be slowly taking the momentum of the match back into her corner, holding serve once more for 4-3.
To Sharapova's advantage, Williams first serves then crept into the lower 70s and three double faults gave the Russian another break to even the set at 4-4. Sharapova followed by holding serve for her fifth straight game in the match, taking a 5-4 lead. Williams was then unable to capitalize on her final service attempt as Sharapova dropped to her knees following the final point of the match.
"It's been an amazing year," she simply said after collecting her million dollars. Amazing for Sharapova and amazing for women's tennis.
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