"Ave, Maria!" shouted Izvestia. Evening newspaper Vechernyaya Moskya headlined with a nationalist twist: "Good Masha, You're Still Ours. Russia heralded Maria Sharapova victory at the WTA Championships this week as souvenir supplements highlighted the countries success on the major stage in 2004.



"Maria Sharapova won the final victorious point of the best season ever for Russian tennis," the business daily Kommersant commented.



Izvestia compared her dramatic win over Serena...

World number four Maria Sharapova has pledged $56,000, the money from the sale of the Porsche Cayenne sports car the 17-year-old was awarded after her victory in Los Angeles to the families of the victims of the Beslan school hostage tragedy in which 344 people died in September.



It was the first time that the winner of season-ending WTA Championships was awarded a Porsche to donate to the charity of her choice.

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova's success this season has not only shot her to world No 4 from No 32 at the end of 2003, but onto another planet, French tennis rival Marion Bartoli claimed on Thursday.


Sharapova's triumph in the WTA Tour Championship capped a milestone year for the 17-year-old, and world No 41 Bartoli believes that success has created a barrier with the Russian beauty which did not exist a year ago.


"She doesn't really speak to anyone. When you pass in front...

So what's a girl who loves to shop do with $1 million?

``That's a lot of shoes,'' says Maria Sharapova, winner of Wimbledon and the year-end WTA Championships.

The 17-year-old Russian is headed off to a ``super-fantastic'' vacation knowing she beat the world's top players over five consecutive days to earn one of the richest paychecks in women's tennis.

``I certainly deserve a spot on that list,'' she said.


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