Maria Sharapova has had little time to savour her Australian Open victory.
The Russian travelled to Israel to make her debut in the Fed Cup, just days after beating Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 6-3 in Melbourne for her third Grand Slam title. "I want to be No. 1 again," the fifth-ranked Sharapova said Tuesday. "I want to win Grand Slams."
Sharapova, making her first visit to Israel, leads a powerful defending champion Russian team that also includes seventh-ranked Anna Chakvetadze, No. 16 Dinara Safina and Elena Vesnina.
The Israeli team for the weekend's best-of-five series consists of Shahar Peer, Tzipi Obziler, Keren Shlomo and Julia Glushko. Peer is Israel's highest ranked player at No. 17.
"I think all of us here look forward to that challenge," Sharapova said, seated alongside Chakvetadze.
Since her arrival Monday, Sharapova has been mobbed by Israeli paparazzi photographers. She is staying at an upscale seaside hotel outside Tel Aviv.
Tuesday's newspapers were filled with glamorous photos of the Russian star wearing stylish sunglasses and a gray woolen cap.
Sharapova was named to Russia's squad for last year's Fed Cup final against Italy in Moscow, but was injured and didn't play in the 4-0 victory. The current team does not include No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Sharapova said she wouldn't have time for sightseeing, focusing instead on practising for the matches.
She was asked by local reporters if she had a boyfriend, and she sheepishly declined to answer.
"I don't want to talk about my personal life," she said. "But I do have a dog, named Dolce."
January 30th, 2008
Posted by: Marco
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