Maria Sharapova

(The Sun)

PRINCESS Beatrice has been voted the third most eligible woman in the WORLD.

Fergie’s oldest girl, 18, beat beauties including supermodel Kate Moss and actresses Lindsay Lohan and Keira Knightley.

Topping a list of 50 was ageing rocker Rod Stewart’s daughter Kimberly, followed by Baywatch’s Carmen Electra.

Men’s mag FHM polled 10,000 readers to compile its Most Eligible Women In The World 2007 list.

A mag spokesman said: “Kimberly Stewart has all the attributes you want in a woman.

“She’s rich, gorgeous, likes to party and she’s the daughter of a legend.”

Also in the list were Page 3 favourite Keeley (9), model Elizabeth Jagger (25) and Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty (38).

TOP TEN: 1. Kimberly Stewart; 2. Carmen Electra; 3. Princess Beatrice; 4. Sarah Harding; 5. Scarlett Johansson; 6. Lindsay Lohan; 7. Maria Sharapova; 8. Paris Hilton; 9. Keeley Hazell; 10. Keira Knightley.

Russian Maria Sharapova continues to head the women’s tennis rankings released Monday by the ruling body WTA.

However, the two Dubai finalists Justine Henin-Hardenne from Belgium and France’s Amelie Mauresmo, managed to close the gap on Sharapova, who last played in Tokyo at the beginning of February.

The only newcomer into the top ten is Serbian Jelena Jankovic, who advanced into the Dubai semis, but had to retire against Mauresmo after the first set.

WTA top 10 as of February 26 (previous ranking in parenthesis): 1. (1) Maria Sharapova, Russia, 3,824 points; 2. (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium, 3,516; 3. (3) Amelie Mauresmo, France, 3,070; 4. (4) Kim Clijsters, Belgium, 2,630; 5. (5) Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 2,595; 6. (6) Martina Hingis, Switzerland, 2,379; 7. (7) Nadia Petrova, Russia, 2,265; 8. (8) Elena Dementieva, Russia, 1,869; 9. (9) Nicole Vaidisova, Czech Republic, 1,742; 10. (11) Jelena Jankovic, Serbia, 1,724.

Laureus World Sports Awards, Barcelona 2007

A glittering collection of the world’s greatest sports stars has been nominated for the 2007 Laureus World Sports Awards. A record number of leading sports journalists from around the world have voted this year to select the nominees. When the ballot closed on January 31, a total of 1,068 members of the Laureus World Sports Awards Media Selection Panel from 128 countries had cast their votes.

World tennis No.1 Roger Federer, seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher and the top golfer in the world, Tiger Woods - all two-time winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award - have been nominated again, and there will be hot rivalry to see if one of them can be the first to make it three. In a very competitive category, up against them are Fernando Alonso, the current Formula One World Champion, Asafa Powell, the fastest man on Earth, and Fabio Cannavaro, captain of the Italian FIFA World Cup winning team. For Schumacher, who retired at the end of the 2006 Formula One season, it is a record seventh Laureus nomination.

French tennis star Amélie Mauresmo has been nominated for both Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year and Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Awards after finally breaking her hoodoo and winning two Grand Slam titles. In the Sportswoman category, Mauresmo is competing with two other Grand Slam winners Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova.

Dutch wheelchair tennis champion Esther Vergeer, winner of the Laureus Disability Award in 2002, has been nominated for the fourth time after an unbeaten 2006. While Spain’s kiteboarder Gisela Pulido, who is short-listed for the Laureus Action Sports Award, becomes the youngest ever nominee at 12.

The winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards, as voted for by the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be announced during a televised Awards Ceremony staged at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, on the evening of Monday, April 2.

At the Nominations unveiling in Barcelona, it was also announced that French football legend and World Cup winner Marcel Desailly and South African explorer Mike Horn, winner of the Laureus Alternative Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2001, had been elected to the Laureus World Sports Academy.

Academy Chairman Edwin Moses said: “This has been a great year for sport and the Academy are going to find it extremely difficult to decide who to vote for as winners. But when you speak of winners, they don’t come bigger or better than Marcel and Mike. In their different worlds, they have been supreme and I know they are going to be tireless workers for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.”

The full list of nominees for the 2007 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Fernando Alonso (Spain) – second straight winner of the Formula One World Championship
Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) – captain of Italy’s FIFA World Cup winning team
Roger Federer (Switzerland) – winner of three Grand Slam tennis events
Asafa Powell (Jamaica) – fastest sprinter in the world
Michael Schumacher (Germany) - retired after seven Formula One World Championships
Tiger Woods (US) – winner of Open Championship and US PGA golf majors
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Justine Henin (Belgium) – winner of French Open Grand Slam tennis championship
Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) – winner of European Championship pole vault gold medal
Carolina Kluft (Sweden) – winner of European Championship heptathlon gold medal
Laure Manaudou (France) – winner of four gold medals in European Swimming Championships
Amélie Mauresmo (France) – winner of Wimbledon Grand Slam tennis championship
Maria Sharapova (Russia) – winner of US Open Grand Slam tennis championship
Laureus World Team of the Year

All Blacks Rugby Team (New Zealand) – winners of record seventh Tri-Nations Championship
FC Barcelona (Spain) – winners of UEFA Champions League and Spanish League and Cup double
European Ryder Cup Team – record-equalling win over the United States at K Club, Dublin
Italy Men’s Football Team – winners of the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time
Renault Formula One Team (France) – Constructors World Champions for second straight time
Spanish Basketball Team – won the basketball World Cup for the first time

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Xavier Carter (US) – aged 20, ran second fastest 200 metres ever, and won four NCAA titles
Ghana Men’s Football Team – qualified for FIFA World Cup finals and reached last 16
Lewis Hamilton (UK) - aged 22, became first black driver to compete in Formula One
Amélie Mauresmo (France) – won her first Grand Slam tennis tournaments after limited success
Britta Steffen (Germany) – won four gold medals in European Swimming Championships
Mia Xiaoxu (China) – aged 18, won Golden Ball and Shoe in FIFA Under 20 World Championship
Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Drew Brees (US) – led New Orleans Saints to NFC Championship game after serious injury
Ben Curtis (US) – winner of first golf tournament since 2003 Open Championship
Roy Jones Jr (US) – came back to ring at 37 to win NABO light-heavyweight title
Miami Heat (US) – fought back to win NBA Finals after losing first two games
Serena Williams (US) – slipped out of top 100 through injury, but came back to win Australian Open
Zinedine Zidane (France) – returned from retirement to captain France to final of FIFA World Cup
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Martin Braxenthaler (Germany) – won three golds in Alpine mono-skiing in Winter Paralympics
Kurt Fearnley (Australia) – won New York Marathon wheelchair race, breaking course record
Edith Hunkeler (Switzerland) – won three golds in wheelchair racing at World Championships
Javier Otxoa (Spain) – Tour de France star who returned to cycle racing after car crash
Kazem Rajabi Golojeh (Iran) – broke two powerlifting world records in 2006
Esther Vergeer (Netherlands) – wheelchair tennis player unbeaten in three years
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

Aaron Hadlow (UK) – aged 17, won PKRA kiteboarding world tour for third time
Travis Pastrana (US) – motocross star, won three Summer X Games gold medals
Kevin Pritchard (US) – won windsurfing Wave World Championship
Gisela Pulido (Spain) – aged 12, won a PKRA kiteboarding event, beating the world champion
Kelly Slater (US) – won an unprecedented eighth world surfing championship at 34
Hannah Teter (US) – won ESPY award for Best Action Sports Female Athlete
Shaun White (US) – competed in and won 12 snowboarding events in 2006
*There are seven nominees in this category after the Action Sports Media Selection Panel vote resulted in a tie for sixth place

The 2006 Awards Ceremony, held in the presence of His Majesty The King of Spain in Barcelona, was attended by global figures from sport, entertainment, business and fashion. Hollywood celebrities Teri Hatcher and Cuba Gooding Jr hosted the Awards Ceremony. Guests from the world of entertainment included Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman. Among the winners present in Barcelona in 2006 to receive Laureus Awards were Roger Federer, Janica Kostelic, Renault’s Flavio Briatore, Rafael Nadal, Johan Cruyff, Valentino Rossi and Ernst van Dyk.

Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a world-famous destination. Its unique architecture, artistic ambience and celebrated tourist attractions have made it one of the most visited cities in the world.

The Laureus World Sports Awards will be one of the first events to be staged in Barcelona during the ‘Year of Sport’ which begins in March 2007 and which celebrates the 15th anniversary of the highly successful Olympic Games which were held in Barcelona in 1992. The main aim is to promote sport as a tool to improve health and social integration and to demonstrate the ability of Barcelona to host major international sports events.

Barcelona combines its passion for sport with its reputation as one of the most sophisticated business cities in Europe. The city offers world-class infrastructure, backed by superb organisational talent. Its unique qualities make Barcelona a natural choice to host the 2007 Laureus World Sports Awards.

Maria Sharapova is giving Chernobyl disaster victims a voice as the Russian tennis star embraces her new role as a United Nations goodwill ambassador.

The Times of London said the 19-year-old tennis player has donated funds to help the victims of the 1986 nuclear disaster.

While Sharapova’s parents left the region around the Chernobyl plant before it began leaking radiation, her grandmother still lives the area. “This definitely means a lot to me and my first priority will be to call attention to the lingering effects of Chernobyl,” the tennis star said.

The Russian Academy of Medical Sciences said that 212,000 people have died due to the nuclear plant disaster and countless more Russian citizens have been uncompensated for illnesses linked to the tragedy.

While some of those citizens doubt Sharapova’s effort will make a difference, 69-year-old Zoya Klimakina remains optimistic.

“She can bring attention to our problems,” she said of the athlete. “I don’t want her money. All I’m asking is what I’m owed by the state.”

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams both withdrew Friday from next week’s WTA Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open Tennis Tournament, citing ailments.

Williams, who trounced Sharapova on Jan. 27 to win the Australian Open for her eighth Grand Slam title, has battled the flu in recent days.

The illness forced her to opt out of this week’s Bangalore Open in India.

Sharapova has been hampered by a hamstring injury.

“I’m very disappointed to have to withdraw,” Sharapova said in a statement. “The hamstring that I injured in Tokyo is not yet healed. I tried everything possible to be in condition to play, but unfortunately I’m not ready. I’m looking forward to continuing to recover as quickly as possible so that I can get back on the court competing.”

Justine Henin, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Martina Hingis will head the field at Dubai. (c) UPI

New York, Feb 15 (DPA) The world’s top-ranked woman tennis star Maria Sharapova has been appointed a UN goodwill ambassador to promote development goals and fight poverty around the world.

The Russian athlete will work for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which has employed other goodwill ambassadors like soccer stars Ronaldo of Brazil and Zinedine Zidane of France to help fight poverty.

Sharapova’s work includes campaigning for the achievement of what are known as Millennium Development Goals, which aim to eradicate poverty, put more children in school, promote women’s rights and safe drinking water for millions of people around the world.

“UNDP work around the world is making a positive difference in people’s lives, and I am proud to add my personal commitment to its work,” Sharapova told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York Wednesday as she began her ambassadorship.

She donated $100,000 to eight youth-oriented programmes in rural communities in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine in areas that are still affected by the nuclear reactor explosion at Chernobyl in 1986.

“My first step is to focus on the Chernobyl-affected regions, where my family has roots,” she said. “Today, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that pose the greatest threat for young people in the Chernobyl region.”

Sharapova said she knew little about Chernobyl, but wanted to help young people who are still suffering from nuclear radiation from Chernobyl.

Her family fled Gomel, a city in Belarus, after the Chernobyl disaster, for Nyagan in Siberia where she was born in April, 1987.

Dubai: Martina Hingis is happy Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are not present at this year’s Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open.

“I am so glad they did not come,” Hingis beamed after being asked to comment on the late withdrawal of the top two players.

“Top players pulling out always affects the tournament. It is disappointing for the fans, but we still have a great field here with Mauresmo, Henin and Kuznetsova. Then there are younger players like Jelena (Jankovic),” she said.

Hingis paid due respect to the grit and fighting power of Serena.

“I was not surprised she went on to win at the Australian Open. She has been a champion before and it is not difficult for a strong person like her to concentrate on herself and get everything right,” Hingis added. “Mentally, Serena is so strong and she is never willing to give up.”

The former world No 1, who returned to the Tour last year after a three-year break, is enjoying her presence among the top. “I came here last year and did not know what was in store. But this year is different as I’ve achieved a lot in the past few months. I am a much better player now,” said the fourth-seeded Swiss veteran.

Rounded individual

Hingis’ layoff has helped her become a more rounded individual. “I rely on my experience now. I am using my mental strength to deal with the challenges before me,” she said.

“Everyone (younger players) is more physical and relentless now. They are more hungry and just want to go all out.”

On a personal note, Hingis got engaged to tennis player Radek Stepanek at the end of last year.

“There are no further plans as of now. No one has noticed the engagement ring in Switzerland,” she smiled.

(gulfnews)

Justine Henin-Hardenne, the year-end world No1, lost her second surname and her first position following her recent separation from Pierre-Yves Hardenne. Yesterday Henin, the world No2, faced up publicly to the pain in her life revealing that the shock has been so great that she has no aim to regain the top spot from Maria Sharapova just yet. Nor can she think about tennis beyond the next couple of months.

“I have to take it step by step,” she said. “It has been a difficult period in my life for sure but I will try to come back strongly with my tennis. I just need to accept that it will take a little time. I have never used tennis as a way of forgetting something else. I have just tried to face reality. And now I have to try to build myself again like I did many times in my life.”

Much will depend on how well she can control her emotions. For this reason the Belgian made it clear that she is anxious to keep her public and private life separate. “You always have a lot of people who are very curious and they want to know why and who - and who cares? That’s my life,” said Henin.

“We all have the same rights and we have to respect that. We can talk about tennis and I know I am a public person. But as soon as I am not on a tennis court and as soon as something touches my private life, I think I can keep it for myself. It’s a little bit like my secret garden. All of you, I’m sure, have ups and downs in your life and why should I be different just because I’m a famous tennis player? I’m a person before being a player.”

Henin won only two matches in her comeback tournament, the Open Gaz de France in Paris a fortnight ago, after missing the Australian Open but claims she has no regrets about that as she prepares to defend her Dubai Open title this week. “It was still a brave decision to play there,” she said. “I played a few matches to get back on the tour, to try to find my motivation, to get some rhythm and to feel the atmosphere - that was very important. And Dubai is far away from the Australian Open and so I thought ‘let’s go and face it now’. I already feel better about that.”

Nevertheless an hour-long schedule of interviews was quite an ordeal just two days before trying to retain a title in a tournament where she has never been beaten. If Henin can get to the final again, she may find herself facing Amélie Mauresmo, who beat her both in the Wimbledon final and in last year’s Australian Open final, from which she controversially retired. The atmosphere between the two has been strained ever since. Life may not get any easier this week.

Eleni Daniilidou of Greece defeated the seventh-seeded Li Na of China in the first round yesterday. Daniilidou, the world No42, beat the 16th-ranked Li 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in a match lasting just over three hours. Maria Kirilenko of Russia advanced to the second round after beating the wild card Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-3, 6-0.

“It was a really easy match for me. I think I did some right things in the match and that helped,” Kirilenko said. Alicia Molik of Australia beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 6-3, 6-4.

(the guardian)

Is Sharapova prettier than Williams? Well…most of you would prpbably say she is. Is she a better tennis player? Most of you would probably say she is not.

In the famous Wimbledon championship, where Maria Sharapova defeated Williams last year, Venus Williams managed to get her third championship. In the brutal final she won over Lindsay Davenport 4-6 7-6 9-7. Reuters called it “the longest, and one of the most dramatic, women’s finals in Wimbledon history”.

So, how much will Maria Sharapova make after this year? She needs to nail some majors to earn that $18.2 million (according to Forbes) like she did last year.

Well, she has a pretty face, long legs, is liked by fans , so maybe those Canon, Motorola and Tag Heuer deals will continue. She is still number 2-ranked player in the world.

MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Russia’s Maria Sharapova is set to regain the women’s world number one ranking after Amelie Mauresmo’s surprise defeat in the Australian Open fourth round on Sunday.

After current top-spot holder Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew from the Melbourne Park event for personal reasons, Sharapova ensured there would be a new No. 1 by reaching the last 16 at the year’s first grand slam.

Sharapova and Mauresmo were set to vie for the elite ranking but with the French reigning champion’s defeat in Melbourne and the Russian having fewer points to defend, most of the permutations were made redundant.

Only third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova can deprive her fellow Russian of top spot if she wins the tournament and U.S. Open champion Sharapova loses her fourth-round match to Vera Zvonareva on Monday.

Mauresmo has spent 39 weeks as the world number one in her career, while Sharapova, who last topped the rankings in August 2005, has enjoyed the honour for seven weeks.

Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams are the only other remaining women at the Melbourne Park event to have held the top ranking.