Maria Sharapova not knowing who I am is not disrespectful, says Sachin Tendulkar

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday offered his first reaction to tennis star Maria Sharapova not knowing who he is. Tendulkar was quoted by television channels as saying that 'Her comment (was) not disrespectful, maybe she doesn't follow cricket.'

Recently, when the French Open women's champion Sharapova was asked if she knew Sachin Tendulkar, she had responded saying "I don't".

Tendulkar, David Becham and golfer Ian Poulter were in the Royal Box in Wimbledon when Sharapova was playing. When Sharapova was asked if she was aware of the sports celebrities who had come to see her play, the five-time Grand Slam champion said she had met Beckham a few times but wasn't familiar with Tendulkar.

On Beckham, the Russian tennis star said: "I've actually met him a couple times at events in LA and in London. He is a great guy. Besides being an incredible football player, he has done so much in his career, having a family, maintaining so many things off the court. He is a really nice person to chat to. We're not best friends or anything, but it's nice to be able to say hello and congratulate each other on achievements we've had in our careers and so on."

When Sharapova was asked: "Sachin Tendulkar was the other person who came in at the same time as David Beckham. Do you know who Sachin is?" she flatly replied: "I don't."

The news had set off angry reactions in India, with Tendulkar fans targeting Maria Sharapova on social media.