The most handsome parliamentarian or what!!!!!??? Yes, his name is Marat Safin.

(Photo: Tribune de Geneve)

Two-time Grand Slam winner Marat Safin has been elected to the Russian Parliament, the Duma. In an interview with ATP, the charismatic Russian tennis star said:

“I could go and make commercials left and right and pretend like I am a celebrity, but that is not me. This is a completely new life, a new way of thinking, new way of doing things that’s nothing to do with tennis or sports at all. But the two things definitely have one thing in common and that is that you need to have a character.”

Oh yes, you do have that, Mr Safin! Good luck in your new adventures.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Masha is out of the U.S. Open. Below is her post-match interview after losing to Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. in the third round.

Q.  How are you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Good.

Q.  Where was your A Game today?  What happened?  Seemed hitting you were in the back court, you were hitting double faults.  Did you lose your concentration or your focus?  What was going on with you?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Um, yeah, I made way too many unforced errors.  I fought back to get myself back in the match in the third set.  I think the first three, four games on every game I had a chance to win that game, whether it was a breakpoint or it was a game point on my serve, and I didn’t win those games. When you’re done 1 4 and you get yourself back in a position where can you win again and start making errors, it’s just too inconsistent to win the match against her.

Q.  Did you feel like you could rely on your forehand in this match at any point?  Did you ever feel comfortable with it?

MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Um, I didn’t feel comfortable with most of my game today. Read more »

Maria Sharapova bt. S. Lisicki 6 4, 6 3Q. How does it feel to be back in the Wimbledon final?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: It’s a great feeling. It’s been many years, but it’s a really great feeling.

Today wasn’t my best match of The Championships so I was real happy to get through in two sets. But, yeah, it’s pretty amazing to be back on that stage.

Q. Your start wasn’t very good.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: No.

Q. How much confidence does it give you to be able to come back from that? Looking into the final, do you feel like you have one hand on the trophy after coming back so strong?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, she started really well. The first three games she played very well, and I did quite the opposite. Uhm, you know, she served a lot better, and I was giving her way too many free points on my serve.

And then, you know, I told myself to take it one point at a time and really focus. You know, I felt like I just kind of got in my zone, you know, just remained focused, and kind of got back to 3 All.

I was fortunate to win that set and then get up a couple of breaks in the second. Read more »

Ever wondered how Maria Sharapova is always so competitive? In a recent interview with Reuters, former world number one Sharapova talked about how she stays competitive and what she thinks about her chances in Roland Garros in Paris.

“It is tough to have really good friends on the tour,” she said. “I find it difficult to be having dinner with someone one night and then having to play them two days later because it is at the end of the day an individual sport and we are all very competitive.

It’s typical in sport to try to beat each other. You know we are not on a team and as far as really close friends goes I have my family who come with me on the road. I don’t hang around in the locker room - it’s my least favorite place in the world. I do my job at the site, I play matches do what I have to do and live my world away from the site and don’t talk tennis all day. It’s not in my best interests.” Read more »

• Vera Zvonareva gets the “Best Tennis Player” award in Russia. She plans to graduate next year with a degree in International Economics. Her topic of the thesis: “Sport as an instrument to raise Russia’s competitiveness in the world.” (GoTennis.ru)

• Shamil Tarpischev has offered Elena Dementieva a vice-president position at the Russian Tennis Federation. No word on if she accepted it or not.

• Maria Sharapova’s post on her Facebook page: “The word of the week is SORE!! My team is killing me (this is a good thing), we have been working really hard on fitness the past 2 weeks and now we will start to focus more on tennis (thank you!!).”

Her name is Nadezhda. HOPE in Russian.  Is this her last chance for a first slam title? Nadia Petrova has been showing some powerful tennis at this year’s Australian Open.  She destroyed US Open champion Kim Clijsters 6-0 6-1 in the third round, upset third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round and is now targeting former world No.1 Justine Henin in the quarter-final.

Can she do it?

(photo: wtatour.ru)

Just do it… Make millions! World’s highest-paid female athlete is going to get even richer. Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova has extended her sponsorship deal with Nike in an eight-year $70 million agreement. The contract goes into effect this month and includes a line of dresses designed by Maria. She currently makes close to $22 million a year in prize money and from endorsing companies (Tiffany & Co, Sony Ericsson and Canon). She consistently ranks as the highest paid-female athlete of the world and the highest paid athlete in Russia for the last several years. Read more »

Maria Sharapova asks for some good luck from monks in Thailand. Her luck will be tested soon at the Australian Open.

photos: mariasharapova.com

Former Russian tennis star Anastasia Myskina did a photo shoot recently with the OK magazine and gave a quite candid interview about her life. Here are some of the notable quotes:

About relationship

“I have been with my current partner for three and half years (who is also the father of her son Zhenya). We met at a gathering. Everything was logical and not romantic. I think he has never watched tennis. My husband is a businessman and he is quite far from any sports. I am not planning to say his name, he is quite private and I don’t see any need to publicize our relationship.”

About TV anchor job

I have worked as a football TV commentator for about a half year and, to tell the truth, I never felt comfortable in that role. I have never been interested in football, even though the players are interesting personalities. I like more commenting about tennis. Also, I am a co-host of the TV program called “Tell me, what’s wrong.” Along with a therapist, we help couples solve relationship issues.

(Source)