FEEDBACK: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17

Sharapova's speech shows lack of maturity, grace

Maria Sharapova can win all the tennis titles she wants, but that's not how one attains grace, charm, and sophistication. Her behavior during the year-ending WTA Championships and, later, her acceptance speech, or whatever she was spewing, was disgraceful. A total black eye for the sport of tennis.

Serena can certainly teach this uncultured player a thing or two about style and grace. In her concession speech Serena showed a lot of poise and maturity. Those are some things that Masha lacks. Maria giggled incessantly, failed to acknowledge her opponent and just made the whole proceeding seem very idiotic. The crowds weren't fooled. During Serena's speech audience members enthusiastically clapped for her, but when Masha did her strange giggling number people applauded her tepidly.

Masha's father, Yuri, showed the ultimate in bad taste by running onto the court. The media will probably stupidly read that as undying love between a father and a daughter.

The shark is a marked woman, what with all the enemies she has amassed in the WTA. Everyone is now gunning for her. If she is looking over her shoulder, one new contender to threaten her is Alicia Molik. Molik kicked Maria's ass in the Zurich final. I feel that besides the veterans beginning to get their stride, I feel Molik will make some noise in 2005. If somehow Maria draws Molik in the Australian Open, it will be a dogfight. The Russians are milking success for all it's worth, but a serious crash and burn will occur sooner or later.