In weather that's for the birds, Sharapova dressed for success
LONDON -- As moisture continues to descend on Wimbledon, you wonder if this is the Swan's lake. You wonder, if the rain ever stops, will this be the Swan's tournament once again?
It was three years ago. Then Maria Sharapova was but a cygnet, a kid of 17, the longest shot ever to make off with the women's crown. She couldn't believe it, dethroning Serena Williams, 6-1, 6-4 . Neither could anybody else, except maybe her daddy, Yuri Sharapov, who took her out of Siberia and brought her to the United States expressly to do such things.
Now, having added another major, the US Open last September, and many millions of dollars to her piggy bank, she expects these championship deeds from herself. Taller, now 6 feet 2 inches, than the girl who won in 2004, Sharapova is gowned regally as a swan. If her countryman, the composer Tchaikovsky, were in the stands, he would cry, "That's my Odette, the heroine of my ballet, 'Swan Lake.' But what's she doing on a tennis court?"
Doing the best she could yesterday. Sharapova and the reigning champ, Amelie Mauresmo, were the only players to slip through a narrow dry interval to complete victories, entering the fourth round.
In weather fit for swans, during a drenching afternoon when umbrellas far outnumbered rackets, Sharapova outgunned Ai Sugiyama, 6-3, 6-3, and Mauresmo made quick work of Mara Santangelo, 6-1, 6-2.
Sharapova is pleased by compliments for her elegant Wimbledon glad rags.
"Thank you. I'm glad you got the [avian] point. It is a swan-inspired dress," she said of the small wings of pleated fabric down the back. "Of course, it's white. A swan is usually white, right, unless it's weird."
Whether the winged frock helps her fly across the court is questionable. But who knows?
Ranked No. 2 behind Justine Henin, Sharapova is anxious to return to her former big bird status at No. 1. But she's not the most useful bird in this precinct. That's Finnegan, the house hawk that scares pigeons away from the courts.
"Does that hawk bite swans?" Sharapova laughed. "Does it? Jeez, I might have to cut those wings away."
Aside from the pressure of trying to win, Sharapova faces the sartorial pressure of coming up with a new and different look for every important tournament. Her favorite was the little black dress in which she blacked out seven opponents at the last US Open, the last two being Mauresmo and Henin. But black won't pass the Wimbledon clothing cops' inspection.
As you can see, it isn't all fun and games, magazine covers, and bank deposits.
Another concern is her gimpy right shoulder that caused her to take two months off. Should she be playing at all?
"The doctors say it doesn't really make any difference if I take time off or not," said Sharapova. "I don't know why. But they say I can play if the pain isn't too severe. Some days are better than others. Well, I'm feeling good. With the tough conditions, heavy balls, physically I still feel good.
"The shoulder, between matches, is treated with ice, massage, strength work, acupuncture. That takes two hours a day."
Her next probable foe is Venus Williams, who knocked off Sharapova's crown in the semis two years ago, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.
Venus, however, was hung up by the deluge, leading Akiko Morigami, 6-2, 1-4.
Keeping with tradition, the tournament will take the middle Sunday off and play will resume tomorrow. In other matches carried over to tomorrow, Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, Elena Dementieva, and Nicole Vaidisova each is up a set.
"I'm stronger, much fitter now than I was [in the 2005 semifinals loss to Venus]," said Sharapova. "You have to be strong to withstand that level of play. I played a great first set, and then the intensity dropped. When I lost to Venus, I told myself I had to get fitter. I'm better now at keeping up the intensity."
Despite her diva status, the irritating shrieking as she plays, a certain haughtiness on court, the frills and glamour, make no mistake about the game's leading face. Sharapova is a swan with bite, a fighter who would trade all the perks of fame just to win.
She says she saw "Swan Lake" when she was about 8, but doesn't remember much. The one thing to remember about Ms. Swan is she's willing to outdance any ballet company to win this title. 