The New York Times-20080125-Sharapova to Face Foe She Doesn-t Quite Tower Over
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Sharapova to Face Foe She Doesn't Quite Tower Over
Full Text (546 words)At first glance, it will be tall, 20-year-old blonde versus tall, 20-year-old brunette in the women's final at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Maria Sharapova, as the world beyond tennis is well aware, is the 6-foot-2 blonde. Ana Ivanovic, as the world beyond tennis could quickly figure out, is the 6-1 brunette.
But this first major final between the telegenic Sharapova and telegenic Ivanovic will be much more than a contrast in hair color and business portfolio.
Sharapova, the Russian with the American accent who is seeded fifth, has been in Steffi Grafian form here, losing a total of 24 games in six matches. In the quarterfinals, she dealt No. 1 seed Justine Henin her first defeat in six months and one of the most lopsided defeats of her career.
Ivanovic, a Serb seeded fourth, has been less overwhelming. She struggled to finish off 17-year-old Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the fourth round and truly struggled to finish off ninth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova in the semifinals, losing the first eight games of the match before shaking off her nerves and hitting through her big forehand instead of steering it.
Sharapova is more famous than loved in Melbourne, judging from the polite yet subdued crowd reactions during her matches and on-court interviews. Ivanovic, who has family here, has already being dubbed Aussie Ana.
Ivanovic did incur Hantuchova's ire for making squeaking noises with her sneakers as Hantuchova prepared to serve, something Ivanovic attributed to the court surface and not to any attempt at gamesmanship. But Ivanovic is generally all smiles and diplomacy and occasionally fields queries about whether she is too nice to be a champion.
Sharapova is intense and intimidating on the court, tending to shriek as she strikes the ball at important stages of the match. Though perceptive and bright, she has a quick, sarcastic wit that can sometimes prove challenging to her inquisitors. She also has a father and coach in Yuri Sharapov who is quite capable of distracting from her brilliant tennis with his aggressive body language in the players' box. The latest issue was the throat-slashing gesture that Sharapov made after his daughter beat Henin.
Sharapov, as usual, declined to comment, but according to Sharapova and Larry Scott, the head of the women's tour, the gesture had nothing to do with Henin. Scott, who spoke with Sharapov, concluded that it was a private joke gone public between father and daughter that was related to the hooded camouflage jacket he was wearing, which Sharapova jokingly said made her father look like an assassin.
The jacket and the gesture were nowhere to be seen during Sharapova's straight-set victory over Jelena Jankovic in Thursday's semifinals and will presumably not be around on Saturday for the final, either. Ivanovic and Sharapova have split their four previous matches, none of which has gone three sets.
Ivanovic dominated Sharapova, 6-2, 6-1, in the French Open semifinals last year on clay, Sharapova's worst surface. But Sharapova, with her right shoulder problems resolved, roared back to win just as convincingly indoors at the tour championships in Madrid.
She's definitely a big fighter and she never gives up, and that's something I also feel we have a little bit in common, Ivanovic said. It's going to be a big battle, I think.
