Maria Sharapova won the Open Championship in Japan in tennis in 2003
In the finale of a representative of the tournament in Tokyo, with a prize fund of 860,000 dollars Russian citizen, whose business card is screaming while batting, beat Hungary's Aniko Kaprosh athlete with a score of 2:6, 6:2, 7:6, (7:5 ).
After that stands for fifteen minutes did not give our athlete to withdraw from the court, made a real ovation.
Apparently, the fans were aware that this victory was the first in the career of 16-year old Sharapova. Prior success in Japan, the best achievement of Mary was out in the semifinals of the tournament in Birmingham.
"In the world tennis has a new star and a new sex symbol -" a screaming Cinderella from Russia, "- this is a game of Russian athletes commented on the Japanese journalists.
Our reporter managed to contact a young champion, and she is very emotionally talked about his success:
- It's nice that won and won some serious prize - twenty-seven thousand dollars. I hope that this is only the first step toward a tennis Olympus, which I seriously voznamerilas climb. In general, you know ... I'm still after the quarter was sure it was my tournament.
- On what was built this confidence?
- I myself have asked myself: "Can you win?" and received an affirmative answer. I always say to myself that if played well today, then tomorrow I can play even better. Can call it auto-training. Helps a lot (laughs).
- Maria, you have often been compared to Kournikova, it does not bother you?
- Very funny, although if quite honestly, has recently become annoying. I want to reiterate that I do not want to be Kournikova number two. I'm going to play tennis and seek victory on the court. Demonstrate its advantages on the covers of magazines - not mine.
- But you also have tried as a Model. You do not have to work like?
- No, why. Simply, it should not interfere with the main goal - to become the first racket of the world.
- Is not it too high you killed a bar?
- No, you have to set only the super complex problem and try to solve them. This is my parents taught.
- You are not offended by the nickname "cried Cinderella?
- What is and is it? So let it be known.
- You spend most of their time in the U.S., but never thought to change citizenship?
- I always feel like a Russian, and I have one nationality - Russian. And what with the fact that half my life I have lived in the U.S.? There my tennis career developed very successfully. But all the same because I - Russian and I dedicate my victory to their Motherland.
Paul Peter
"Rossiyskaya Gazeta"
25.08.2003
