Maria Sharapova removed from women's tennis singles rankings while she serves suspension

Moscow: Suspended Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova was removed from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings, according to a report on the organisation's website on Monday.

Last week, Sharapova, 29, was in 93rd place in the rankings, reports Efe.

She is serving a two-year suspension for the violation of anti-doping regulations since 26 January. However, the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on 4 October to reduce her suspension term from 24 to 15 months.

The former World No 1 is now eligible to officially return to the court from 26 April next year.

Due to the ban, the silver medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, had to miss the Rio Games, held in August this year.

In December, Sharapova will take part in an exhibition match in Madrid against 2016 French Open winner Garbine Muguruza of Spain.

The nearest Grand Slam tournament, after Sharapova's ban gets over, would be the 2017 French Open, scheduled from 28 May to 11 June.

Sharapova will not have time to earn enough tournament points to get direct entry at the Grand Slam tournament in France.

Hence a wild card is her only chance to play at the prestigious event.

Maria Sharapova is spending her summer as an intern

Maria Sharapova was in New York City this month on a sports venture that had nothing to do with tennis or the U.S. Open.

As Sharapova prepares for her post-playing career, the Russian tennis star completed a three-day informal internship with the NBA in Manhattan, working closely with commissioner Adam Silver.

Sharapova is barred from the U.S. Open after testing positive for a drug — meldonium — that’s deemed a performance-enhancer and recently was placed on the WTA’s banned list. The two-year suspension currently is under appeal.

The 2006 Open champion attended several high-level meetings and met with executives for the NBA, WNBA and D-League. She was recommended for the internship by a friend, Sophie Goldschmidt, who formerly ran the league’s European office.

“She took part in many of our department meetings to learn about the NBA operations,” Mike Bass, a spokesman for Silver, told The Post. “She’s very smart, incredibly inquisitive about our process and initiatives.”

According to an NBA source, meldonium will be placed on the NBA’s banned list in time for the coming season.

Sharapova has kept busy since her ban, which began in June, diving into academia. She took a two-week class at the Harvard Business School in July and had an internship this summer at an ad agency and Nike.

She already is running one business, candy company Sugarpova. Her agent, Max Eisenbud, said she’s focused on a business career after she retires.

She will not be in New York during the Open.

A second chance for Mohammad Amir

Deserving or otherwise, second chances in sport seem rather arbitrary; here’s hoping the young Pakistani cricketer makes full use of this one.

I remember the reactions on TV. While bowling against England in a Test in 2010, Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir overstepped a long way—and I mean a LONG way. Michael Holding, the great West Indian fast bowler, was delivering TV commentary, and when he saw the replay, he exclaimed, in that rounded West Indian accent: “How far was that? Wow!” His partner, Ian Botham, chipped in with “That’s like net bowling!”

Discussing what had happened, Holding later actually wept.

It’s likely every cricket fan knows the rest. It turned out that Amir’s gross no-ball was part of an elaborate sting operation set up to expose the racket of spot-fixing in cricket. He, his pace-bowling teammate Mohammed Asif and their captain Salman Butt were suspended from cricket for several years, and also served time in prison.

It was a disgraceful blot on the game. For fans like me, it’s an article of faith that the flow of any sport depends purely on skill and effort. That implicit belief is the reason we watch, why we feel the thrill of the game almost viscerally. That some players would take money to influence that flow in some way is not just profoundly dismaying, it is despicable.

Even so, the Amir/Asif/Butt episode was also a terrible pity. Eighteen-year-old Amir’s tremendous skill with the ball had lit up that English summer—he had taken six wickets in that very Test, before his infamous no-ball. The older Asif had been a magnificent bowler for several years as well, and was in the prime of his career. That these talents were lost to cricket, even if because of their own idiotic greed, was a tragedy.

I can’t be the only cricket fan who delights in the charms of thoroughbred fast bowling; to me, there’s no better sight in cricket than a superb paceman bamboozling a top-class batsman and destroying the stumps behind him. Yet here, two of the art’s best exponents had stupidly—if deservedly—ruled themselves out of the game.

Six years later, Amir is back in the Pakistan team. He played a few one-day matches some months ago, including against India. In those and in other games since, he showed that he has lost nothing in his time away. And this week, he played in his first Test since 2010; as it happens, at the same ground, Lord’s, where he reduced Holding to tears.

Still just 24, Amir has time on his side to fulfil his great potential. There are four Tests this summer, in all of which I look forward to seeing him make a mark to match his overflowing talent.

Yet his return is not without controversy. There were reports of dissent from within the Pakistan team, and other cricketers around the world have also pronounced that Amir should have been banned from the game for life.

“Once a cheat, always a cheat”, said Balwinder Singh Sandhu, part of India’s 1983 World Cup champion team, to the Hindustan Times. Plenty of cricket watchers, writers and fans have similar reactions.

Equally, there are those who think he’s paid enough for his crime: the jail term, the long break from so much as touching a ball in any form of competitive cricket. He has learned his lesson, goes this line of thinking, time to let him back into the game.

“I believe that Amir absolutely deserves to get another chance,” said Maninder Singh, who bowled offspin for India in the 1980s. “Doesn’t everybody?”

Though actually, the answer to that possibly rhetorical Maninder Singh question isn’t particularly clear.

Lance Armstrong didn’t get a second chance—though you could argue that his lies gave him chances aplenty, until he was finally found out. Oscar Pistorius likely won’t get a second chance. Ben Johnson (sprints), Umakant Sharma (chess), Marion Jones (sprints), Mohammed Azharuddin (cricket), Tonya Harding (skating), S. Sreesanth (cricket) and Petr Korda (tennis)—none of them got second chances.

But Maria Sharapova may yet get hers, as Martina Hingis has, as Tom Brady and his New England Patriots have.

Or take the curious and long-running case of Mike Tyson: he swept all of boxing before him for several years, then served a prison term for rape, then returned to the sport and actually regained his world titles, then lost to Evander Holyfield, then bit off part of Holyfield’s ear during their rematch—an act, it seemed to me, that should have disqualified Tyson from the sport immediately and permanently—but he kept boxing professionally for nine years after that.

Speaking of which, there’s Luis Suarez, still playing professional football after three separate times that he has bitten opponents during games.

And there are several more names I could add to both lists. Deserving or otherwise, second chances in sport seem to come about rather arbitrarily.

It’s with all this on my mind that I will follow Mohammad Amir’s career from here on out. Like every sports fan I know, I’d like to see cheating punished severely (though drugs make for a debate worth pursuing—but that’s for another time). But I’m also a firm believer in second chances. Without meaning to get philosophical, I believe that’s a marker of some essential humanity in us all.

So just focus on your bowling now, Amir. May you make those English batters dance and bob and weave. May you enthrall and captivate us fans, as fast bowlers are meant to.

And for different reasons altogether this time, may you make Michael Holding exclaim again, in that same soft rounded accent, “Wow!”

Once a computer scientist, Dilip D’Souza now lives in Mumbai and writes for his dinners. His latest book is Final Test: Exit Sachin Tendulkar.

This Week In Sports Law: Maria Sharapova Suspended, Darren McFadden Duped, Gawker Gutted ?

One of tennis’ greats, Maria Sharapova has been suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federal (ITF) for testing positive for meldonium, a heart disease drug. The two year penalty was not longer in length because it was deemed that Sharapova did not intentionally use the banned substance. The ITF had prayed for a four year ban.

Sharapova will appeal the suspension. The Court of Arbitration for Sports will hear the appeal, with its decision binding on the parties.

Meldonium had become a banned substance as of January 1, 2016.

Darren McFadden Says He Lost $15 Million Because of Advisor

Darren McFadden has filed a lawsuit against his business advisor Michael Vick, not to be confused with the NFL quarterback, for allegedly misappropriating and mishandling his money, which includes $3 million that was squandered as part of investing in a Bitcoin business.

A big issue is a power of attorney that Vick possessed. The lawsuit does not make it clear as to whether Vick obtained this power to act on McFadden’s behalf with or without McFadden’s true consent.

The Complaint claims that Vick used McFadden’s money as a “personal slush fund to subsidize his own lifestyle and expenses.”

Gawker Crumbles At The Hands Of Hulk Hogan

Gawker Media Group has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming its struggles on a $140 million jury verdict after being sued by professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. Fortunately for Gawker, it has already received an opening bid of $90 million for its assets.

Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit was based on invasion of privacy when a sex tape was released on the Gawker platform. Gawker was not allowed to stall the $140 million judgment and felt it was left with no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

It is expected that the bankruptcy auction will occur at the end of July. Gawker still intends to appeal the jury verdict.

Former NFL Lineman Sues The Biggest Loser

Former NFL lineman LeCharles Bentley and his company O-Line Performance have sued The Biggest Loser for trademark infringement. Bentley claims that the show is using a logo for “LB” that is confusingly similar to the stylized mark he owns for “LB.”

Bentley’s lawyer originally sent a demand letter to Shine Television, LLC (producer of the show) and NBC Universal demanding that they immediately cease and desist what was claimed to be infringing activity.

“We believe that the use of O-Line Performance’s service marks/trademarks is not mere coincidence. As I am sure you are aware, Mr. Bentley was previously approached and interviewed by individuals associated with the show. At that time, Mr. Bentley was being considered for a role as a celebrity trainer on The Biggest Loser based upon his expertise and prominence in the field of sports performance and strength training, nutrition, and exercise science,” reads the demand.

Apparently the cease and desist demand was ignored, and a case was filed by Bentley, which is now pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Western Division – Los Angeles).

Tweet Repeat

This Tweet delivered by Warren K. Zola was worth repeating.

Lucky Number $307 Million

Top European soccer club Inter Milan will have a majority of its shares (70%)sold to a Chinese retail giant Suning Commerce Group Co. in exchange for the payment of $307 million. Suning’s chairman is already calling China Inter Milan’s second home.

Jack Montague Calls Foul On Yale Expulsion

Former Yale basketball captain Jack Montague has filed a lawsuit against the school based on causes of action of breach of contract and defamation. He was expelled this past season based on claims of sexual harassment.

Yale is accused by Montague as making him a poster child for enforcement of equality laws and the university is blamed for singling Montague out based on his performance and captain status.

“Montague — captain of Yale’s basketball team and one of the most prominent male students on campus — was Yale’s ticket to restoring its tarnished image,” reads part of a statement from Montague’s representatives.

Montague maintains that he and his accuser had a prior sexual relationship wherein the intercourse was consensual in nature, and he was never aware that the accuser failed to consent to any physical touching.

You Probably Didn’t Know That

The Regional Court of Munich has enjoined the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and FIBA Europe from sanctioning or threatening to sanction national federations, leagues and clubs in Europe. FIBA Europe has since filed an objection to the injunction, pointing out that FIBA and FIBA Europe were precluded from presenting their position on the matter before the court came to its conclusion.

The issue surrounds an attempt to purportedly threaten European national teams from being withheld from tournaments and Olympic qualification as a result of participating in competing leagues.

“Excluding or threatening to exclude the national teams by reference to the exclusivity clause . . . constitutes the abuse of a dominant position,” held the court.

Connecticut Advertising Agency Attempts To Can Pepsi In Copyright Case

Connecticut-based Betty Advertising has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against PepsiCo PEP -0.34% Inc., claiming that Pepsi stole the advertising agency’s design concepts in the production of its Super Bowl commercial featuring Janelle Monae. Specifically, Pepsi is blamed for stealing the idea of creating a human jukebox hero character shifting from room-to-room as the music changes throughout. Betty Advertising insists that it pitched PepsiCo the concept in November 2015.

This is why many companies refuse to even accept unsolicited pitches or pitches from persons unfamiliar to companies’ executives. The result can be the opening of a door for individuals to file claims for improper use of intellectual property provided by way of the communications.

NHL Gets Its Own Form Of ‘Deflategate’

The facts, circumstances and procedural history differ, but the grounds for a new lawsuit filed by the NHL against the players union is in accord with the NFL’s fight against Tom Brady. Each concern Commissioner power.

The NHL wants the court to intervene and vacate a ruling by an arbitrator that knocked down a suspension for defenseman Dennis Wideman from twenty to ten games. It asks the court to determine that the arbitrator went beyond his powers to make the change, thereby further empowering the Commissioner’s power in making determinations on appeals of discipline.

Potent Quotables

“We respect survivors’ freedom to choose whether, when and how to share their experiences and will support survivors who choose to share their experiences publicly. The details of these individuals’ experiences will not be discussed publicly by the University. We hurt for these students and deeply appreciate their willingness to speak with Pepper Hamilton as part of this review. Their insights and participation will help us better address these issues in the future.” – Baylor University interim president David Garland as part of statementrefusing to release full findings of Pepper Hamilton’s investigation of sexual assault.

SHARAPOVA & WOZNIACKI AT THE MET GALA

WTA stars Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki stepped out in red for the Met Gala. See the best pictures of their red carpet arrivals right here!

NEW YORK, NY, USA - Every spring the Costume Institute at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art puts on a new fashion exhibit, and with it there's a brand new themed party: the Met Gala. It's probably one of the flashiest - and most exclusive - red carpet events of the year, and WTA stars Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki were right in the thick of it.

Hosted by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, this year's theme was "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," and Sharapova and Wozniacki chose red as their as their color for the night. Sharapova enlisted Colombian designer Juan Carlos Obando, and Wozniacki wore Prabal Gurung.

Here's some of the best pictures of their red carpet arrivals, courtesy of Getty Images:

George Osborne still deserves praise for his Living Wage

Also in Any Other Business: what if the sage of Silicon Valley had stayed in Britain?

It was unfashionable of me to write in praise of George Osborne on Budget day. I did so, you may recall, because ‘at least we have a finance minister who’s always on the front foot’: I wanted to make a contrast between our Chancellor’s relentless activism in pursuit of his political goals, and the supine performance of eurozone leaders — who continue failing to offer any strokes at all while hoping for Mario Draghi to knock up a few runs with monetary trick-shots from the other end. Within 48 hours, however, our Chancellor seemed to be very much on the back foot, one hand clutching his protective box, as bouncers rained down from the unlikely combination of IDS and John McDonnell. So it goes in politics; a fortnight later we may observe — emotive issues of disability benefit aside — that the sheer complexity of modern fiscal policy-making leaves an unlovable risk-taker like Osborne open to attack from any angle his many detractors care to choose.

Here, for example, is my friend Allister Heath at the Telegraph writing about ‘the many (inevitably damaging but often popular) left-wing measures [Osborne] has imposed’ — while Labour’s McDonnell bangs on about ‘the bankers’ Chancellor… looking after a wealthy minority’, not least by offering higher-rate taxpayers a big cut in capital gains tax, to the enormous advantage of those lucky few who happen to incur very large CGT bills.

The recent Budget will go down as one of Osborne’s least successful episodes, even if there were measures in it, to help smaller businesses, for example, that will boost the economy in the medium term. But at risk of being labelled ‘left-wing’ by right-wing purists, let me at least say a word in favour of the Living Wage, which kicks off this week at £7.20 an hour and will rise to £9 by 2020. When it was announced in last July’s Budget it was, needless to say, a blatant bid to knock Labour spokesmen off their soapboxes. It’s also a measure that quietly shifts a little more of the economic burden on to private-sector employers and away from the state. In businesses dependent on low-paid workers, it will clearly cause strain: there are warnings, for example, that it will exacerbate what’s already a crisis in elderly care — in which the state pays as little as it can to buy services from private providers.

So what’s to praise? In the early years of this decade, wages were stagnating in a way that was not helping the recovery and really did look unfair, while rising job numbers indicated room for an uptick in pay — and evidence from the introduction of Labour’s minimum wage in 1999 suggested the impact on businesses would mostly be marginal. Whatever Osborne’s ulterior motives, the Living Wage is a nudge in the direction of a better-balanced economy, and a gambit that finance ministers elsewhere are very likely to follow.

Silicon sage

I was fascinated to learn the life story of Hungarian-born Andy Grove, the driving force behind the Californian technology giant Intel, which makes the microchips that power most of the planet’s electronic devices. The name of Grove (who died last week, aged 79) was little known outside the digital world, but he was the sage of Silicon Valley to whom more famous innovators turned for advice. When Steve Jobs was pondering his return to Apple in 1997, 12 years after he had been forced out, it was Grove he called for counselling. Always blunt, Grove told him: ‘I don’t give a shit about Apple,’ a remark apparently provocative enough to make Jobs decide to go back. At Intel, Grove kept the company at the forefront of microprocessor design decade after decade by a process of ‘creative confrontation’ — heated but non-hierarchical argument over product ideas, in which, according to one observer, ‘He was perfectly fine with having employees yelling back at him.’

Intel today employs 107,000 people and has a market capitalisation of $150 billion. We can but wonder whether it would have succeeded at all if Grove had stopped in England after escaping the 1956 Hungarian uprising and if the company’s scientist founders, Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore, who hired Grove as their first employee in 1968, had sited their research lab in, say, Swindon rather than Santa Clara. In the start-up phase they would have struggled to raise venture capital; as it was, their key US investor was Arthur Rock, who was also an early backer of Apple, where he had a hand in ousting Jobs in 1985.

Nor would they have found a welcome on the hidebound London stock market of the 1970s. Like the now-forgotten semiconductor maker Inmos, Intel’s nearest UK equivalent, they might have been spotted as a potential ‘national champion’ and drip-fed state funding, but would have failed to achieve international scale, eventually to be sold to foreigners and disappear with trace.

And there would have been no great fortunes made. Grove amassed $400 million; Noyce died in 1990 but Moore, now 87, is worth $6 billion. The most likely counter-factual, if the Intel trio really had been Brits, is that they would have left these shores long ago and gone to America.

New Europe on sea

Easter in Tenerife, but without Maria Sharapova — too shy to respond to my invitation last week. A pity: estate agents’ signs here are often in Russian, and we could have found a nice little apartment at a knock-down price. The weather’s lovely, the maitre d’s are Romanian, the doctors are Polish, the street vendors are African, the breakfast is Full English, the worst-dressed tourists are Ukrainian and the best-dressed are German but they spend no money in the luxury shops. At least the taxi driver is Spanish: he studied business in Brighton but can’t find better work. Though the nearest landfall is Western Sahara, this is new Europe on sea: fine for a holiday but economically fragile and (without Maria) not a place I’d like to live. That’s my breezy Brexit metaphor for this week.

Australian Open: Williams beats Hsieh 6-1, 6-2

At the Australian Open, Serena Williams is looking to defend her title while she also seeks a seventh crown at the year's first grand slam. There have been some concerns about her health as the highly dominant world number one has been bothered by her knee, but that would be hard to tell as she wipes the floor with Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei.  

Serena Williams

Williams has only fallen in the second round of a grand Slam tournament twice in her career. And to no one's surprises, the American takes a 5-1 lead in the opening set, and with that backhand winner she seals the first frame with ease.

Williams had 26 winners, including seven aces in the match. And that includes this big overhead as she looks to serve out the match. And Williams would wrap it up exactly on the one hour mark with a stylish ace. The top seed will face Russia's Daria Kasatkina next, an 18-year-old who was interestingly born the year before Williams' first Australian Open.

Fifth seeded Russian gets her 50th win at tournament

Ealier Maria Sharapova was taking on Aliaksandra Sasnovich, The audible Russian would take a 5-1 lead in the first set, but a bit of confusion would ensue here on her first serve when the unpire first awards the game to Sasnovich. Maria doesn't say a word, just stares him down and the ump quickly corrects himself, and Sharapova serves her second and later wins the set 6-2.

The second frame would be similar and Sharapova now has match point. Sasnovich returns long and the Russian takes it 6-1 for a straight sets victory. Sharapova, who won the title in 2008 and has reached three other finals, completed the win in 71 minutes and is moving on to the third round.

Chinese qualifier eliminated in second round

Chinese qualifier Wang Qiang had a sensational opening round upset over Sloane Stephens, taking on Anna-Lena Friedsam, and the German wins the first set 6-3.

Ties at 2-2 in the second, Wang comes in for the kill, but instead finds the net. On match point, a big serve from Friedsam and Wang pops it up, and the German takes it in straight sets.

China's Han Xinyue is facing Russia's Yulia Putintseva right now on the the court, and Putintseva is leading 3-2 in the first set. Earlier Italy's Roberta Vinci beat Irina Falconi 6-2, 6-3. Kateryna Bondarenko notched one of her biggest wins, beating two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 7-5.

Swiss reaches third round with 25 ace domination

To the men's side now where Roger Federer aces Alexandr Dolgopolov to take the first set 6-3. The 27 year old Ukrainian would put up more of a fight in the second, but Feds still takes it 7-5.

It would be all Roger in the third as the Swiss sends a winner down the line to win the match in straight sets on the back of a beastly 25 aces as he seeks a fifth title in Melbourne.

Seventh seed into 3rd round for sixth-straight year

Japanese hope Kei Nishikori came out on top of an awkward match with his practice partner Austin Krajicek to reach the third round at the Australian Open.

The 7th seed advanced but not before a second set struggle, which wins here in a tiebreaker. And the Japanese would finish the 1 hr 53 min match on Margaret Court Arena with an ace. Nishikori will play either Spain's 26th seed Guillermo Garcia Lopez or German qualifier Daniel Brands next.

And 6th seeded Tom Berdych would easily handle qualifier Mirza Basic 6-4, 6-0, 6-3. Marin Cilic took down Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4,6-3,7-6 and while David Goffin beat Damir Dzumhur in four sets.

Maria Sharapova leads ‘underdogs’ Russia against Czech Republic in Fed Cup final

Maria Sharapova has played only four Fed Cup ties, but her presence on the court could make all the difference as Russia take on holders the Czech Republic in the 2015 final at the weekend.

The 28-year-old world No 4 will likely face sixth-ranked Petra Kvitova and ninth-ranked Lucie Safarova, the left-handed duo who have led the Czechs to three Fed Cup titles from the last four editions.

“It’s a great way to finish off the year playing with two of the best players,” said Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam winner, who was sidelined with leg and arm problems from July to October.

“It’s definitely a very new experience, I’ve been part of the team on different occasions but never in the final.”

Sharapova returned to action at the WTA Tour Finals last month, where she lost to Kvitova in the semi-finals — after losing to Safarova at the French Open in June.

“I know how difficult an opponent they are and it will be a great challenge for me,” said Sharapova, called up alongside world No 23 Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (28) and Elena Vesnina (111).

“We are coming into these finals as the underdogs.”

Russian captain Anastasia Myskina said she was pleased to have Sharapova on the team, waving aside a decade-old rift between them over Sharapova’s father.

“Definitely it’s very important to have Maria on the team and I want to say thank you,” Myskina said.

Equally high-spirited, the Czech team denied being the favourite.

“They have the highest-ranking player and a permanent doubles pair” of Vesnina and Makarova, said Czech captain Petr Pala, who has also nominated 11th-ranked Karolina Pliskova and world number 41 Barbora Strycova. “The chances are perfectly even.”

Dubbing Sharapova “Marushka”, the Czech for “little Maria”, Kvitova and Safarova said they would bet on left-handed rotation against her.

“With Marushka, it’s always a matter of the few chances she gives you,” said Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion, who is 4-6 head-to-head with Sharapova.

“Left-handed rotation will help, and of course you have to fight until the end, Marushka doesn’t give up until the last point.”

The two nations have met five times in the Fed Cup before but three of those meetings were between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.

The Czech team lead their head-to-head record with Russia 3-2, including a victory in the most recent encounter in the 2011 final in Moscow.

The Czechs have won the trophy eight times, including five victories as Czechoslovakia which went on to split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

Four-time champions Russia will be playing in their 11th Fed Cup final.

Maria Sharapova eyes first Fed Cup final against Czechs

PRAGUE — Seven years after she helped Russia win its last Fed Cup title, Maria Sharapova finally gets to play in a final this weekend.

Her rare presence in the team is a boost for Russia's hopes of taking the cup from the defending champion Czech Republic on an indoor hard-court at Prague's O2 Arena.

"It's definitely a very new experience," Sharapova said on Wednesday. "I've been part of the team on different occasions but never in the final.

"Having me as part of the team is really exciting, and I hope we can have a good weekend."

All four of her previous Fed Cup ties were in the first round, and all wins.

In 2008, she missed the triumphant final in Spain because of a right shoulder injury.

In 2011, she wasn't available for the home final loss to the Czechs because of a left ankle injury.

In 2012, Russia didn't pick her for the semifinals loss to Serbia because she was too busy.

This year, keen to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, she contributed two wins in the first-round defeat of Poland, and missed the semifinal win over Germany because of a leg injury.

Injury almost kept her out of this week's final.

The fourth-ranked Sharapova was sidelined with a leg injury after losing in the Wimbledon semifinals. At her first tournament back, the Wuhan Open in China last month, she retired in her first match with a left wrist injury. At the WTA Finals in Singapore, she reached the semifinals.

"It was just really great for me to be playing competitive matches again," Sharapova said of the WTA Finals. "I didn't know how my body would hold up, and it was a really great week to have three victories there and have another chance to maybe play two more matches here.

"Everything I have played after the injuries has been a bonus for my tennis, to see where my health is."

To help captain Anastasia Myskina become the fourth woman to win the Fed Cup as a player and captain - she played in the 2004 and '05 triumphs - Sharapova will have to overcome opponents who have become as dominant in the Fed Cup as Russia once was.

The Czechs claimed their third Fed Cup title in four years last November by beating Germany in the final in Prague, and have all their major stars available, led by top-10 players Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova.

With Kvitova and Safarova, the Czechs won their first title as an independent nation, following the 1993 split of Czechoslovakia, in 2011 by beating Russia in Moscow, and retained the trophy in Prague the following year.

Sharapova has positive win-loss records against both; 6-4 vs. the sixth-ranked Kvitova, and 4-2 vs. the ninth-ranked Safarova. However, she has lost to both Czechs this year.

"I know how difficult opponents they are, it will be a great challenge for me," Sharapova said. "Both meetings, I have lost in quite tough matches."

She was beaten by eventual finalist Safarova 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the round of 16 at the French Open, while Kvitova defeated her 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the WTA Finals.

"It's always tough to play her," Safarova said. "You need to be aggressive to succeed."

The Czechs also have on board Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova, while Russia is counting on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Ekaterina Makarova, and doubles specialist Elena Vesnina.

PENNETTA REACHES CAREER-HIGH RANKING

2015 US Open champion Flavia Pennetta captured a maiden Grand Slam title and rocketed back up the rankings all in one shot; what was her previous career-high?

Published September 14, 2015 12:14

NEW YORK, NY, USA - There's going out with a bang, and then there's 2015 US Open championFlavia Pennetta. Set to retire at the end of the season, the Italian veteran kicked off quite the farewell tour with a maiden Grand Slam title and a career-high ranking of No.8 all in one whirlwind weekend.

Ranked No.26 at the start of the fortnight, Pennetta barreled through a draw full of quality opposition in 2011 champion Samantha Stosur, two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, and World No.2 Simona Halep before easing past lifelong friend and conqueror of top seed Serena Williams, Roberta Vinci. Already defending 430 points from reaching last year's quarterfinal, she nonetheless rocketed 18 spots up the rankings to shatter her previous career-high of No.10.

On the Road to Singapore leaderboard, the leap was even bigger; rising 30 spots to No.6, Pennetta is suddenly in pole position to punctuate her final season with a debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore, presented by SC Global.

"If I have a chance, of course!" she beamed when asked about refocusing her season towards the Road To Singapore.

This third stint in the Top 10 was over five years in the making for Pennetta, who has always played her best tennis on the North American hardcourts. A year after reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in Flushing, the Italian went on an absolute tear, winning 15 straight matches over big names like Stosur, Maria Sharapova, Vera Zvonareva, and Venus Williams, and winning back-to-back titles in Palermo and Los Angeles before falling in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open to then-No.1 Dinara Safina.

It was that run that made her the first Italian to ever break into the WTA's Top 10, and though she was largely a Top 20 mainstay throughout her career - even briefly returning to her career-high before Wimbledon in 2010 - it seemed unlikely that the Fed Cup stalwart would ever surpass the ranking standard set by countrywoman Francesca Schiavone, who was the first Italian to win a Grand Slam title at the 2010 French Open and the highest-ranked from her country at No.4.

But with only 66 points to defend in Wuhan and Beijing - the two tournaments Pennetta has committed to play this fall - it may only get harder to say goodbye for the new No.1 Italian, who could yet do damage at major hardcourt events like the Australian Open and next summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Maria Sharapova to Front Supergoop Campaign

It’s become clear how important tennis star Maria Sharapova has been to sun protection products company Supergoop a little over a year after she came on as an investor.

Sharapova is heading up a new campaign called Project Black Dot that aims to educate consumers on skin cancer and the benefits of wearing sunscreen daily.

The Texas-based company makes sunscreens, eye creams and other products. Sharapova invested an undisclosed amount in Supergoop last year and has since helped educate people on the havoc the sun can have on unprotected skin.

The first iteration of the campaign, called Project Permission, calls on parents to sign permission slips that would allow their children to bring sunscreen to school. It’s currently considered an over-the-counter drug and prohibited on school campuses in most states.

“If we can get the awareness that your kid cannot bring sunscreen to school, it’s a pretty big statement,” Sharapova told WWD. “I think not many parents actually realize that and if you think about that it’s quite a shocking fact and we really hope to change that.”

Wearing sunscreen daily has been a habit for the athlete since she was young, training in the sun sometimes six hours a day in Florida.

“A few years ago, before I even met [Supergoop chief executive officer] Holly [Thaggard], I was a fan of Supergoop. I found it at a Sephora store,” Sharapova said. “I’ve tried so many different sunscreens and this was one that didn’t burn my eyes.”

Sharapova’s involvement in the company has been a boon for the brand.

“We weren’t looking at the time for a spokesperson for our brand and when Maria reached out, what we saw was it gave us the opportunity to put a big megaphone to this message and reach millions more people and, of course, influence our youth as well,” Thaggard said.

Sharapova’s input as a heavy user of sunscreen has also been helpful in the development process, Thaggard added.

Supergoop is sold in Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s and Nordstrom, among other retailers.

Maria Sharapova’s US Open Exit: What It Means For Nike

Athletic giant Nike has one fewer star contender in the US Open tennis competition, after Russian pro Maria Sharapova announced yesterday on her Facebook page that she will withdraw from the tournament. How much of a blow will that be to her key sponsor?

The athletic brand has been promoting Sharapova for the past couple of weeks, including at a special event in New York last week, where the No. 3-ranked player joined Nike stars past and present for a friendly street-ball competition, which also doubled as a launch for the latest NikeCourt gear.

However, as Sharapova noted in her message to fans, she’s been suffering from an injury and hasn’t played a single match since losing to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon semifinals. And she has history of withdrawing from the New York competition, according to Russ Napolitano, COO of brand consultancy Tenet Partners.

“It is unfortunate for Nike that this is the second time in three years that Maria has pulled out of this high-profile Grand Slam tournament, forcing Nike to shift gears at a moment’s notice,” he said.

Napolitano noted that he often advises brands that working with celebrities carries risk, so they should always have a backup plan to help navigate any unexpected challenges.

“As luck would have it, Nike’s ‘just in case’ strategy can be to put much of its focus on Serena Williams,” said Napolitano. “This is not a bad position for Nike to be in. All eyes are now on Serena, as she is chasing the calendar Grand Slam [record], which hasn’t been done in 27 years, since Steffi Graf won all four back in 1988.”

For Nike, another finals showdown between Sharapova and Williams would’ve been preferable, but the brand still stands to benefit from its longstanding partnership with Williams, which has yielded unique on-court fashions and a signature line of sneakers.

Added Napolitano, “If Serena succeeds at making history by winning or even by making the finals, Nike’s exposure will be huge, with the Sharapova withdrawal a long-lost memory.”

Why does Maria Sharapova earn $10 million more in endorsements than Serena Williams?

Recently, a controversy involved in the disparity in endorsement pay between Serena Williams ($13 million) and Maria Sharapova ($23 million) hit a place where the debate is always respectful and reasonable: Twitter.

The argument goes that since Serena is so much better on the court than Sharapova, she deserves more money from companies, a belief so deluded and so at odds with everything we know about sports, entertainment and business that it boggles the mind. (Meryl Streep is the best actress, how dare she not get salary of a Jennifer Lawrence!)

And then the topic quickly turned to race, with the suggestion that Serena doesn’t earn more because she’s black, something that Michael Jordan, the all-time biggest sports endorser, and Tiger Woods, the most apt comparison to Serena (non-white star dominating a traditionally white sport), surely would scoff at.

Serena was asked about this, in a brilliant cover story for The New York Times magazine.

If they want to market someone who is white and blond, that’s their choice. I have a lot of partners who are very happy to work with me. I can’t sit here and say I should be higher on the list because I have won more. I’m happy for her, because she worked hard, too. There is enough at the table for everyone. We have to be thankful, and we also have to be positive about it so the next black person can be No. 1 on that list.

Serena sounds mostly gracious, as she should be. But the entire idea that someone who is better than someone else deserves more in endorsement money is preposterous. Look at Tiger Woods, ranked No. 266 in the world in a single sport but getting the third-most money in endorsements. It’s not outrageous because Tiger’s name still sells things, even if his game is in the toilet and his reputation is right there with it. The market doesn’t care.

Phil Mickelson is maybe the 20th best player in the game and there he is, right below Tiger. How can Phil sleep at night, with Brooks Koepka getting nothing even though he’s ranked five spots ahead of him! Kobe Bryant, who can barely jump anymore, brings in more four times the endorsement money than Chris Paul, another L.A. basketball hero. This is the way it goes in sports and business.

Look at Li Na, a female tennis player who was good for about a few years and earned $5 million more in endorsements than Serena when she was active, not because she was “white and blond” but because she was Chinese and American companies fall all over themselves to get their foot in the door in that untapped market.

There are so many extenuating circumstances that dictate why one athlete makes more in endorsements: a willingness to shill, worldwide appeal, better agents, being multi-lingual, playing a sport that is marketable. I mean, look at the NFL, in which stars barely make any money off the field. They play the most popular sport in America yet Rory McIlroy earns 10 time more in endorsements? He can barely throw a ball!

Is it fair that the best don’t earn the most? Yes. It’s not about being good, it’s about selling product. The bigger concern is that there are only two women (Sharapova and Serena) on the Forbes’ Top 100. But capitalism doesn’t concern itself with such things as equality. Green is all that will ever matter.

Sharapova, Serena, Rousey among Forbes' highest-paid female athletes

Maria Sharapova may sit a distant No. 2 to Serena Williams on the tennis courts, but the Russian star beat out her competitor on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid female athletes for the 11th straight year, the magazine announced Wednesday. 

The five-time Grand Slam title-winning Sharapova earned $29.7 million in prize money and endorsements between June 2014 and June 2015. The 21-time Grand Slam title-winning Williams, who is looking to win her fourth Grand Slam title this year at the U.S. Open, earned $24.6 million.

Caroline Wozniacki came in third on Forbes' list with $14.6 million in earnings ($11 million of it off the court).

Tennis players dominated the list this year, as WTP pros comprised seven of the top 10 entrants.

The only newbie in the top 10 was MMA breakout Ronda Rousey, who punched in at No. 8 on a wave of publicity and endorsement deals with the likes of Reebok, Monster headphones and Carl's Jr.