Sweet like chocolate

SINGAPORE: Self-confessed choca-holic Maria Sharapova will get a chance to bite into some post-Christmas forbidden fruit in the privacy of her hotel as she arrives on Friday for a weekend tennis exhibition.

The Russian, a former number one, is facing compatriot Anna Chakvetadze on Sunday night as a first preparation for the Australian Open that starts January 14.

Sharapova is expected to be greeted with a full array of chocolate products when she reaches her five-star riverside hotel suite in this prosperous city-state.

With no-nonsense father Yuri not making the New Year’s trip, the 20-year-old double Grand Slam champion now has the chance to break her strict training regime - at least for a day or two.

“The moment she knew her dad was not coming along, she told us she wanted chocolate,” Kipple Chan, from Hong Kong-based organisers Entertainment Group Limited, told local media. “She’s always had a sweet tooth, so we’re arranging a special chocolate buffet for her.”

Sharapova will be accompanied for the Sunday night exhibition earner by American hitting partner Michael Joyce. She flies out of Singapore on New Year’s Eve.