Sharapova Defeated in Paris

Henin-Hardenne defeated No.2 Maria Sharapova at Rolan Garros. Maria was given a French Open pounding by former champion Justine Henin Hardenne on Tuesday, ending Maria's hopes of taking over the number one spot. Score: 6-4, 6-2

Maria Eyeing #1 Spot

It was a wet and windy day tuesday as she overpowered her opponent Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday in Rome at the Italian Open. If Sharapova wins this (1.3 million) clay-court as a prelude to the French Open, she will overtake Davenport as the No.1

Top tennis players join forces with Habitat for Humanity/Whirlpool

Top players including Maria have teamed up with 'Habitat For Humanity' to create artwork. The finished Whirlpool Player's Painting, will be auctioned off with procedes benefitting Habitat for Humanity.

This unique work of art has been themed ‘Room with a View’, to link Habitat for Humanity’s core objective of building houses for low income people in need of simple decent low cost shelter across the world.

Bids for these pieces of artwork can found at www.habitateurope.org

Maria Sharapova Closing in on No. 1

Russian sensation Maria Sharapova could add another prestigious title this week to her already-impressive stats...No. 1 in the world. Victory at this week's Qatar Total German Open will not only provide the Wimbledon champion with her 10th career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title (and second Tier I), it will also earn her enough points to overtake Lindsay Davenport for the coveted No.1 ranking.

Top 5 Tennis Camps

New England Tennis Holidays, New Hampshire
Vic Braden Tennis College, Green Valley Spa, Utah
Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Tirol Austria
Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Palace Hotel, Switzerland
New England Tennis Holidays at Inn at Essex, Vermont

Top Ten Tennis Resorts

Rancho Valencia Resort, California
Wild Dunes Resort, South Carolina
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Florida
Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
Palmetto Dunes Resort, South Carolina
The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa, Arizona
Wintergreen Resort, Virginia
The Broadmoor, Colorado
Tops'l Beach & Racquet Resort, Florida
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hawaii

USTA Serves Up Tennis Block Parties Across The U.S.

The USTA today announced the launch of “Tennis Block Parties” – a monthlong, nationwide series of festivals to increase tennis participation in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. John McEnroe, Monica Seles, Tracy Austin, Luke Jensen and Todd Martin will join celebrities and personalities from sports and entertainment in this new community tennis initiative.

Tennis Block Parties begin Sunday, May 1 in St. Louis, bringing new ways to involve and expose players and potential players to the unparalleled health and social benefits of tennis.

Sharapova Named One of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People"

Tennis star Maria Sharapova has been named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in a special issue that hits newsstands on Friday. Sharapova joins English soccer star David Beckham as the only athletes named to this year's list.
The magazine, which features Julia Roberts on its cover, includes Sharapova along with Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank.

Wimbledon raises the stakes!!!

Wimbledon prize money will approach $20 million this summer, with the men's champion earning $50,000 more than the women's winner. The total figure for the June 20-July 3 tournament is going up 3.9 percent to $19.16 million at current exchange rates, the highest prize money for a tennis tournament, the All England Club said Tuesday .Players are benefiting from the rising value of the British pound against the American dollar.