Russian pin-up Maria Sharapova will be the lady in red when she opens the defense of her US Open title with some of her toughest rivals on the opposite side.
NEW YORK: Russian pin-up Maria Sharapova will be the lady in red when she opens the defense of her US Open title with some of her toughest rivals on the opposite side of the draw.
In her first match against Italy's Roberta Vinci, Sharapova will wear a red dress for the first time in a match, one based upon New York, which she calls her favourite city in the world.
"I've never worn a red dress before. It's a really big statement because it's the Big Apple and apples are red," she said.
Former Wimbledon champion Sharapova, preparing to take a huge bite out of the Big Apple social scene, followed her win last year at Flushing Meadows with a run to the Australian Open final, where she lost to Serena Williams.
Now she has a US Open bracket with three Russian rivals as the nearest seeds in her half of the draw and such potential spoilers as top-ranked Justine Henin and Serena and Venus Williams in the other half.
"I can't worry about who is on my side and who is not," Sharapova said. "If I'm scared of playing someone I should just pack my bags and leave."
Sharapova debuted a clothing line Thursday and attended a party but has managed to put her tennis work first and glamour-girl lifestyle second to properly prepare for the
US Open.
"I did two events. One was for one hour and the other for an hour and a half, all in the evening after my training," Sharapova said.
That said, one of the reasons Sharapova loves the city is the seductive buzz that surrounds it, similar to the one that typically surrounds her.
"There are just so many things to do," she said. "It's a vibe. Every year I have gotten to appreciate it more and more. It's a buzz.
"It doesn't seem like people could actually live here. I don't picture New York having a grocery store or something. It just seems like this huge amusement park from ride to ride."
Sharapova's wardrobe attracted attention last year for its "Breakfast at Tiffany's" look, but she ditched the little black dress for the red look just as she has modified her service motion to try and improve her results.
"Change takes time," she said. "Most importantly I'm feeling really good. I'm happy to be back."
Sharapova's serve work paid dividends with a victory in a US Open tuneup event at San Diego and a semi-final run the next week in Los Angeles.
"I feel like I'm serving the biggest that I've served this year," Sharapova said. "In San Diego and LA I felt I was hitting a lot bigger and with more velocity."
Now Sharapova hopes to add to her Grand Slam memories.
"There are a lot of memories," she said. "Knowing how sweet it was to win, I want to repeat it because you want to have that feeling again."
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