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'My life is not about a banana' Sept. 9: Maria Sharapova refuses to discuss her hitting coach's allegedly giving her a four-finger signal and instructing her to eat a banana during the match. |
NEW YORK - Surrounded by a dozen people, including three police officers, Maria Sharapova strode the grounds of the U.S. Open on Sunday, doing a champion’s duties.
She posed for photographs with her second Grand Slam trophy, met with members of the media to rehash her 6-4, 6-4 victory over Justine Henin-Hardenne in Saturday night’s final, and stood in the players’ lounge to autograph tennis balls, ticket stubs and other items.
And, much to her chagrin, Sharapova was asked to address again the apparent signals she received from her father and her hitting partner during matches at the Open, including holding up four fingers or waving a banana.
In-match coaching isn’t allowed in tennis, but she and her agent offered this explanation: Sharapova focuses so much on the task at hand when she plays that she sometimes forgets to drink as much as she should to stay hydrated — and the hand signals were simply meant as a reminder.
When asked about it after the final, Sharapova deflected the question, saying it wasn’t what she wanted to be talking about on a night she earned a major championship.
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Since winning Wimbledon at age 17 in 2004, Sharapova had gone 0-5 in major semifinals, until this tournament.
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“Wimbledon was a shock win for me. I never expected to win a Grand Slam at such a young age. And going onto the court for this one, I felt like I’ve done it before, and I felt the experience of it,” Sharapova said Sunday. “Obviously, they’re totally different Grand Slams, but I’m so totally thrilled and honored that I could win both of them.”
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
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 | Reporter goes after Sharapova Sept. 10: A member of the media gets into a testy exchange with Maria Sharapova over the four fingers that her hitting coach allegedly showed her during her victory over Justine Henin-Hardenne for the U.S. Open title. |
U.S. Open |
Aug. 31-Sept. 13 |
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Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
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