I knew Maria from before but now, since we played doubles the last two weeks, we started to get closer and I started to know her better. She is a great girl and a great player. She is very professional on and off the court. I really enjoy playing with her because we do have fun on the court, we enjoy playing and that is the most important.
We were trying to find out a few days ago where we saw each other first time, but was hard I always thought she is one of the nicest girls on tour and now that I know her better, I’m sure of that. She is very polite and always with a great attitude.
At the beginning, my agent contacted her to play together in Fes, and then we both agree to play also Estoril. It’s a pleasure to play with her and I hope we will have a good week here in Estoril.
Roger Federer won against Igor Andreev tuesday (4-6, 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-0). Igor answered to the journalists after his match.
Yesterday your friend Miss Kirilenko said you had urged her to make a loud noise to enter the year. She said she did that and now it was your turn.
« She put too much pressure on me (laughter). Like after she win the match she said “Okay, now it’s your turn”. No, I was happy she won yesterday. She won because… not only because she won, but she played very good match. Very good tennis. »
Maria Sharapova said a few words about Makiri before they play monday 18 on the Rod Laver Arena at 11:00am for the first round of theAustralian Open.
« You know, we kind of grew up together playing junior tournaments. We know each other’s games really well. We haven’t played each other in a long time. She’s a great player.
She knows how to play tennis really well. I just have to go out there, you know, and be ready from the first point. »
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour website told it : players at the ASB Classic will have to be on the look-out yet again for the charismatic and comedic James McOnie, who will be seeking them out in the hopes of more (slightly) unconventional interviews. James McOnie is a man of multiple talents and already features prominently on TV, on such shows as The Crowd Goes Wild, as well as on Bsport radio.
James McOnie accepted to write few words about Maria for her official website, MariaKirilenko.com.
« The return of Maria Kirilenko to the ASB Classic in Auckland is exciting for the New Zealand sports media… and not just because she’s the hottest thing to come out of Russia since Sputnik 10 or the radiator of a 1983 Lada.
It’s also because Kirilenko is one of the most easy-going players on the tour and in New Zealand easy-going is a revered quality.
You can win the Wimbledon, triple Olympic gold, Miss Universe or the Nobel Peace Prize, but if New Zealanders really respect you if you do that and you’re easy-going as well.
But what confounds me, and others around this tournament, is how did Kirilenko become a beautiful, successful woman who is extremely pleasant, easy-going and shy. Where is the diva? Where is the self-centered princess? Where are the tantrums? It’s not the Kirilenko way.
In the past year, Sports Illustrated chose her as a swimsuit model, adidas has singled her out for a new global ad campaign and readers of Canadian website sportsnet.ca voted her the fourth hottest female athlete in the world. I’m betting she’s a bit embarrassed by all the fuss and attention.
New Zealanders love that too. Round these parts, Kirilenko stands out as the anti-diva; as the player who was happy to quietly find her own way to the media workroom to give an interview to a journalist who missed the press conference.
I wasn’t that journalist but I was there. And when I got to interview her, it was pretty good and low-stress, which is a huge compliment in my country. Of course the camera loved her, but it was unrequited love. Kirilenko was too modest for that kind of carry on.
This year, I’m hoping Maria will agree to a fashion runway walk-off. Check out www.asbclassic.co.nz for the results. If it doesn’t happen, I blame shyness and the fact that she’s here to play tennis. »
You are more than 1 200 to be fan of Maria on Facebook. Benjamin is one of them and he explains why she likes Maria. If you are fan of Maria, that you subscribed to her Facebook and that you want to talk about her, send a email to maria@mkirilenko.com. Answer to the four questions :
1/ Could you introduce you in few words
2/ Why do you like Maria Kirilenko and since when do you like Maria Kirilenko?
3/ What is your best memory of Maria Kirilenko tennis career?
4/ If you have few words to tell to Maria, what are them?
To become a fan of Maria on her official Facebook, click here !
Hello ! My name is Benjamin Huet and as, I hope, many other people in this world, I’m absolutely fan of Maria ! I’m only 17 but practicing tennis for at least 10 years, not hoping to have a level as good as Maria’s one day (but we never know the future… ah ah), but enjoying so much this sport. I’m living in south of France and trying to follow tennis world as much as I can, between my social life and political studies…
I discover Maria for around 3 years, and really… I immediately fell in love ! His beauty is so unbelievable, never saw similar in my (short) life. But the apparence doesn’t do everything and I also discovered over the years a girl with a very interesting and offensive game on the court and a very nice person I think (I never could verify it, unfortunately).
For me, the best story is the Barcelona Open of this year 2009, a great moment after those months of deception on the courts. The victory was very close so it could be a bit disappointing but the week was a rare occasion to see Maria at her real level in the first part of the season…
Few words to tell to Maria : continue to work, again and always, and forget this difficult season 2009. One day all your efforts will pay, your dream will come true and you’ll become number 1 !! And I will follow you every day on the web… before meeting you in real, the most quickly I hope (I never had the chance to do it before because of the studies, but it is of course one of my most important project for the next months ! Why not in Roland-Garros ? ).
I always thought she is one of the nicest girls on tour and now that I know her better, I’m sure of that. She is very polite and always with a great attitude.
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All the photos of Maria Kirilenko on her photo gallery
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