The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Down memory lane

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 25, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Down memory lane

— PHOTO: AFP

MAMA’S GIRL: Maria Sharapova, who reached the Australian Open final, acknowledges her mother’s contribution in her meteoric rise.

MELBOURNE: One phone call in six months, the occasional letter.

Maria Sharapova looks back on the two years she lived in the United States as a girl pursuing a tennis career while her mother had to stay in Russia, and says she never wants to go through it again.

Yelena Sharapova is a constant presence in her daughter’s life, now, even if she’s rarely seen at tennis tournaments.

Sharapova moved to Florida with her father, Yuri, at the age of seven to train at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, while Yelena remained in Russia due to visa restrictions.

“In those days I barely talked to her on the phone. You didn’t really have good communication back then,” said Sharapova, sharing the intimate details at a news conference after downing No. 3 Jelena Jankovic to reach the Australian Open final. “I mean, we talked maybe once in six months. It would be much tougher if I had to do it now. But I always remember writing her letters.”

At that time, Sharapova said, she was too caught up with the move to the America to pine for her mother.

“I was younger, I was just so excited and overwhelmed by the move to the United States, by the new surroundings,” she explained.

“I remember the day that I saw her after those two years. She just looked at me, she’s like, ‘Oh, my, you’ve changed so much.”’

Even now, Yelena rarely travels the tennis circuit, while Yuri is constantly on tour.“When I played juniors she went to some tournaments,” Sharapova said.Sharapova said she values her mother’s influence away from the court.

“She brings such good energy and positive chi into myself and all the people that are around her,” Sharapova said.

“She’s the one that always takes me to museums. She knows when this exhibition is going on. She’ll take me to the musicals. She’s a very wonderful woman.” — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport