TennisReporters.net/Sharapova empire expands to US television; Bartoli, Gasquet

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	Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sharapova empire expands to US television Bartoli's knee feeling better and wins; Gasquet's knee gets hurt and loses

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Canon; WTA

Maria Sharapova has ruled print and billboard ads, but not moves to make her mark on television

SHARAPOVA TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE A SPORTS-RELATED DRAMA FOR CW NETWORK: Maria Sharapova is spreading her wings again, this time by helping produce a pilot for the teenage-orientated CW network. Sharapova's show will take place in the world of pro tennis and the word off the court will be that it will be styled on the popular HBO show, Entourage. Sharapova's partner in the series will be Jacob Epstein, who has written for "Without A Trace" and "Sliders." The word off the court is that Sharapova will not act in the series, but is willing to do a cameo or two.

BARTOLI'S KNEE INJURY NOT THAT BAD: After she retired against Tatiana Golovin in Stuttgart, it looked like Marion Bartoli's season was over but she showed up in Linz and smoked Austrian teen Tamira Paszek 6-2, 6-1 to reach the quarters. "My knee was not 100 percent but still okay and I was able to play," said Bartoli, who still has an outside shot at Madrid. "I feel sometimes a little pain especially when I have to take a hard step on my left foot, so I tried not to hit too hard and just put the ball to the right spot." Another Madrid aspirant, Daniela Hantuchova also pushed through past her shopping mate, Gisela Dulko, 6-3, 6-1.

GASQUET COULD BE DONE FOR YEAR: France's Richard Gasquet of France saw his Shanghai hopes fade after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat against compatriot Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Gasquet said he felt pain in his knee and was doubtful for next week's Paris Masters Series, which would eliminate his Shanghai hopes.

FISH FRIED: Olivier Rochus fought off six match points and defeated Mardy Fish 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 7-6(15) in just over three hours at Lyon. Fish served an amazing 43 aces and still went down, ending a tough week for the US with Andy Roddick, Blake and Fish losing early and Justin Gimelstob retiring in Moscow.