Russia's Newest Sensation the Talk at the 2004 U.S. Open
Amit Sura M'08
The William sisters, Roddick, Capriati, and Agassi were all in action this year at the U.S. Open. But lets be honest, I did not take the four hour Chinatown bus and half and hour subway ride to Flushing Meadows to see them in action. I was there to see Russia's latest sensation and model, Maria Sharapova, deemed the new Anna Kournikova but who actually knows what to do with her tennis racket.
Maria Sharapova has an interesting background. Besides her stunning looks which have men in their middle ages quiver, her potent groundstrokes and fierce determination have allowed her to rise past her counterparts with a WTA ranking of nine this year. From the streets of Nyagan, Russia, Maria and her father had nothing more than 12 dollars when they both migrated to the states. After having been recognized by none other than Nick Boletteri, previous coach of the likes of Monica Seles, Andre Agassi, and yes, even Anna Kournikova, Maria took off winning three ITF events (considered the minor leagues of professional tennis). It was only two years later at this year's Wimbledon, that she struck gold, overthrowing former number one Lindsay Davenport and reigning Wimbledon queen Serena Williams to claim the crown.
Her life has been a whirlwind since. IMG has named her one of their top models, as she surpassed the million dollar mark in career earnings. At just seventeen, she has become the third youngest Grand Slam champion behind Martina Hingis. Coming in to the U.S. Open, she was one of five Russians seeded in the draw and had the potential to win her second consecutive Grand Slam.
The U.S. Open has a certain aurora that no other Grand Slam brings. It is the only Grand Slam played under the lights where tennis balls can be heard being blasted at 1:00 AM in the morning. The crowd is ruthless, screaming and yelling at every line call. Up near my seats at the top of a stadium that accommodates 23,000, beer guzzlers act as if they are at a baseball game, watching every point as if it is their last with equal intensity.
The first weekend of the Open is always special. Players are looking to head into the fourth and quarterfinal rounds as the matches are especially touch. Everybody is in action. My first night featured Serena Williams playing in her cat suit and Andy Roddick blasting a serve that clocked at 156 MPH. But day two would be particularly special. As renowned commentator Mary Carillo liked to call it, it became known as the "Battle of the Babes on Saturday" as Mary Pierce took on Maria Sharapova in the third round. For as hard as they hit the ball, it should have been rounds, not sets. Sharapova quickly jumped to an early lead and captured the first set 6-4. But she would struggle on her serve as Pierce found the corners and broke twice to win the second. The third was filled with immense drama as both players broke early, with Sharapova screaming "NYET!!" on every missed opportunity. It would be the 27th seed Pierce that would prevail and get the better of her younger foe, eventually wining the third set 6-3.
But that was not the end of my hour and half viewing of Sharapova. I got bonus coverage as I got to watch her on the outer courts the following day. She was in action with mixed doubles partner Max Mirnyi. That Sunday, I realized that her added publicity is even more than what Kournikova had in her high days, as she has an entourage of screaming fans that do not care whether she wins or not. Just to catch a glimpse of her on the outer courts, I had to wait a minimum of 45 minutes and even then, only standing room was what I got!
And so the birth of a champion begins. I have always witnessed history at the Open whether it be Sampras puking his guts out in the fifth set in '96 or Agassi making one more run in '04. Sharapova will become part of history soon as well, as she caught the attention of many that day both on and off the court. She'll be back as will I, but hopefully this time to witness her lift that trophy high above Arthur Ashe Stadium as so many others have done in the past.
