Maria Sharapova has been chosen to become an ambassador for the Moscow bid to host the 2012 Olympics, city officials said on Monday.


"For Moscow to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games would be a dream for me and millions of other Russians," the Siberian-born teenager was quoted as saying by the Moscow bid committee.



"I am looking forward to helping explain why Moscow should host the Games," added the Florida-based Russian.



"Russia has a very strong history...

Maria Sharapova blasted her way into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday with a 6-3 6-1 victory over 15-year-old Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva.
The 17-year-old Russian, seeded fourth, crunched 15 winners as she eased to victory in exactly an hour.


Karatantcheva, the world number 110, showed few signs of nerves in just her second grand slam event as she matched Sharapova in the early stages.


Read on…

Maria will play her first round match at the Australian Open on monday morning 11.00 local time against qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva of Bulgaria.


Karatantcheva qualified for the grand slam tournament by beating Shahar Peer of Israel in two sets: 6-4 7-5.



Maria has played Karatantcheva once before at last years Pacific Life Open, in Indian Wells 3-6 6-3 6-2.


This match is the 4th match on the Vodafone Arena. Good luck Maria!

Maria has played down talk of a rift between her and Russia's other tennis "tsarinas" ahead of next week's Australian Open.



The 17-year-old starlet stunned the tennis world last year when she won Wimbledon, one of a remarkable three Grand Slam crowns won by Russian players over the course of the season.



But the year finished on a slightly sour note for Maria, with French Open champion Anastasia Myskina threatening to pull out of Russia's Fed Cup team if the US-based teena...

The draw for the Australian Open has been released. Maria, fourth seeded for this tournament, will play a qualifier in the first round. If Maria can get through that match she will play either Lindsay Lee Waters or a qualifier.

Maria has only played this tournament twice before on the highest level.


Click here for the full draw (pdf)