Tokyo: Plans to muzzle the ear-bashing grunters of womens tennis have found an unlikely ally in Maria Sharapova. One of the worst offenders, Sharapovas screams have been measured at more than 101 decibels - comparable to a chain saw, a pneumatic drill or a speeding train.
The sports governing body is to educate players to turn down the volume after pressure from fans, TV broadcasters and a handful of competitors fed up with the constant shrieking on court - and Sharapova thinks it is the right answer.
The WTA plans to muzzle the next generation with the aid of umpires armed with hand-held devices to measure noise levels on court. Education at major tennis academies and with juniors and players at lower-tier tournaments has already begun.
Bottom line is the right answer has been taken by the tour, said Sharapova, safe in the knowledge she will not be told to shush....
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10:32 AM, Oct 01, 2012
Tokyo: Russia's Nadia Petrova upset defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 in the Pan Pacific Open final on Saturday to complete a sensational run through the Tokyo tournament. "It feels amazing," Petrova told reporters after winning the WTA premier five event, which featured nine of the world's top 10 women. It was the 30-year-old's second title of the year and the 12th of her career. "It's the biggest tournament...
12:27 PM, Sep 29, 2012
Tokyo: Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska pulverised Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-1 to set up a final with Nadia Petrova at the Pan Pacific Open on Friday. Russian Petrova upset eighth seed Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-2 in a surprisingly one-sided match to advance to her first final at the WTA premier five event in Tokyo. Arms, neck and shoulders criss-crossed with taping, third seed Radwanska was in awesome form, the big-hitting Pole...
04:23 PM, Sep 28, 2012
Tokyo: Russia's Nadia Petrova overpowered eighth seed Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 in a surprisingly one-sided match to reach the final of the Pan Pacific Open on Friday. Petrova, struggling with lower back pain all week, ran Australian Stosur ragged along the baseline to advance to her first final at the WTA premier five event in Tokyo. The 17th seed faces the winner of the day's second semi-final between defending champion...
01:57 PM, Sep 28, 2012
Tokyo: World number one Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open citing chronic fatigue while Maria Sharapova was stunned by Samantha Stosur as the event lost its top two seeds on Thursday. French Open champion Sharapova, Tokyo winner in 2005 and 2009, was upset by Australian Stosur 6-4 7-6 in a quarter-final filled with drama and high-quality tennis. Azarenka withdrew before her quarter-final with German Angelique Kerber, having...
04:57 PM, Sep 27, 2012
Tokyo: Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus overcame a dizzy spell to beat Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday and advance to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open. Azarenka, playing in her first tournament since losing in the U.S. Open final to Serena Williams, had her blood pressure checked after going down 4-3 in the first set but bounced back to win the next three games. "I felt dizzy...
07:47 PM, Sep 26, 2012
Tokyo: Maria Sharapova overcame more problems with her serve to beat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2 7-6 and reach the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open on Wednesday. French Open champion Sharapova finished the match with an ace but double-faults on big points almost cost the Russian the second set as the sun set over Tokyo. "After a long match on Tuesday, I was just happy to win in two (sets),"...
03:35 PM, Sep 26, 2012
Tokyo: Italy's Sara Errani ended the French resistance at the Pan Pacific Open, rallying to defeat ninth seed Marion Bartoli 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the last eight of the WTA premier five event on Wednesday. The sixth seed finally overcame Bartoli after two hours and 22 minutes, clinching victory with a crunching forehand her opponent could only dump into the net. "I'm a bit tired but I have lots...
11:43 AM, Sep 26, 2012
Tokyo: Sania Mirza and her Spanish partner Nuria Llagostera Vives made a shock first round exit from the Toray Pan Pacific Open after losing to Darija Jurak and Katalin Marosi, here. The second seed Indo-Spanish pair lost 0-6, 6-4, 8-10 to the Croatian-Hungary combination in the first round of the USD 2,168,400 hard court event. Sania and Nuria made a good comeback after being bageled in the opening set but...
03:24 PM, Sep 25, 2012
Tokyo: Two-time champion Maria Sharapova advanced to the third round of the Pan Pacific Open by beating British qualifier Heather Watson 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday. The seventh-seeded Li Na and fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber also won, but 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the fourth seed, was upset by Petra Martic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4. Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka faced Tamira Paszek of Austria late Tuesday, as did former No. 1...
12:37 PM, Sep 25, 2012
Tokyo: Former world number one Ana Ivanovic insisted she still had the game to challenge for grand slam titles after booking a spot in the second round of the Pan Pacific Open on Monday. The Serb, seeded 11th in Tokyo, beat Andrea Hlavackova 6-3 2-0 to advance after the Czech retired with a thigh injury after just 44 minutes. Thats the only reason Im still here, Ivanovic, who climbed to...
11:18 AM, Sep 24, 2012
Tokyo: Maria Sharapova twisted her ankle while serving and quit her Pan Pacific Open quarter-final against Petra Kvitova on Thursday, in a rematch of this summer's Wimbledon final. Kvitova was ahead 4-3 in the first set when Sharapova was injured in the eighth game. Sharapova limped to her chair and pulled out after speaking with her trainer. She went to a hospital for an MRI. "I hit a serve and...
11:10 PM, Sep 29, 2011
Tokyo: Kaia Kanepi eliminated top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 on Wednesday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open. The 43rd-ranked Kanepi rallied from three games down in the third set and won the match when she broke the defending champion with a forehand down the line. After a sluggish start, Wozniacki dominated the second set but was unable to keep the momentum in the third when...
06:57 PM, Sep 28, 2011
Tokyo: Second-seeded Maria Sharapova earned a hard-fought 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) win over 13th-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany on Wednesday to advance to the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals. Sharapova came back from a 3-1 deficit in the first set and then rallied from 5-3 down in the second. "It was a tough match," Sharapova said. "Two sets go to tie-break, I was pleased that although I really didn't play my...
03:56 PM, Sep 28, 2011
Tokyo: Maria Kirilenko eliminated US Open champion Samantha Stosur from the Pan Pacific Open on Tuesday, beating the Australian 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round. The sixth-seeded Stosur, playing for the first time since winning her first career Grand Slam title in New York, trailed in the second set but rallied to break her Russian opponent and take the final two games to even the match. The two traded...
05:23 PM, Sep 27, 2011
It was Maria Sharapova's first title since shoulder surgery last October. ...
04:53 PM, Oct 03, 2009
Jelena is a very solid player, a great mover says Sharapova. ...
10:59 AM, Oct 03, 2009
I feel like it's almost automatic again said Sharapova. ...
11:27 AM, Oct 02, 2009
She never looked in danger of following the top six seeds out of the event. ...
12:26 PM, Oct 01, 2009
Seventh seed Jelena Jankovic reached Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals. ...
03:36 PM, Sep 30, 2009
