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Maria Sharapova - Source: Reuters
Age: 23
Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia
Height: 1.88m
Weight: 59kg
Turned Pro: 2001
Wimbledon debut: 1997 - reached first round
Best result at Wimbledon: Winner - 2004
2010 result: Fourth round - Lost to Serena Williams
Most famous for.. Just another Anna Kournikova? Try again! This Russian bombshell has reached number one in the world and won three Grand Slams, the first of which was at Wimbledon as a 17-year-old.
Something you probably didn't know.. Sharapova signed the most lucrative deal ever for a sportswoman in 2010 with Nike worth US$70 million, dwarfing the previous record, which was Venus Williams' US$43 million deal with Reebok
From the woman herself.. Sharapova is also a designer and has a fall line with Cole Haan. "I get my inspiration for my own line through travelling," she says. "I love street style. I'm always stopping people on the street and taking pictures of them!"
Kiwi connection? Sharapova graced us with her presence at this year's ASB Classic and as a result the tournament sold out. However she couldn't match the hype on court and bowed out in the quarterfinal.
2011.. Sharapova returned to some of her best form in 2011 after her indifferent start in Auckland. She re-entered the top 10 for the first time in two years and won on clay in Rome. She followed that up with an equal best finish at Roland Garros reaching the semifinals.
