Maria Sharapova

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Born on 04-19-1987 Nationality Russian		Buy Maria Sharapova Contact Information Posters and Photos Autographs		Search for Maria Sharapova Mailing Address Auctions		Maria Sharapova Fun Love Match
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Biography

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987 in Nyagan, Russia. At the age of three, Sharapova moved with her family to the resort town of Sochi, beginning to play tennis at the age of four, using a racquet given to her by Yevgeny Kafelnikov's father. At age five, at a tennis clinic in Moscow, Sharapova was spotted by famous tennis star Martina Navratilova, who urged her parents to get her serious coaching in the United States.

Sharapova turned pro in 2001 at the young age of 14. The tennis prodigy and her father had moved from Russia to Florida when she was nine so that Sharapova could study at the tennis academy of Nick Bollettieri. Sharapova steadily worked her way up through the pro ranks, claiming her first tennis victory at the 2003 AIG Japan Open. Meanwhile she took occasional modeling jobs in between matches.

She is very tall, six foot, two inches and is often regarded by many as possessing a natural beauty and figure and has done some modeling with IMG Models. She enjoys fashion and is known to read celebrity magazines. However, she says she does not want to overdo these activities, preferring to focus on her tennis. She does not want to become known as a fashion model. She is often compared to Anna Kournikova, however, Sharapova and Kournikova both reject the comparison.

She created a tennis upset in 2004 when she won the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament. She stunned the tennis world by defeating the defending champion Serena Williams in the singles finals at Wimbledon to win the tournament at age seventeen. She continues to play tennis and model.

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