Archive for December 1, 2004

Maria’s mom

One of the darlings of the game indeed had to crosses over the mountains and seas [翻山过海] to jump start her career.

The Wimbledon final in 2004 was Maria Sharapova’s coming out party. Unexpectedly the 17-year old found herself on the same court with the six-time grand slam owner Serena Williams. How did she elk outthe two-time defending champion was somewhat drowned in her nonstop thunderous grunts. I did not remember how convincingly she won her first slam: 6–1 and 6–4 (I cheated: googled it) but remembered the comments from the NBC sportscaster Mary Carillo who recounted her journey from Siberia to the sunny Florida. Her repeat fanning of Maria’s separation from her mother for two years in order to pursue her career left me bemused:

“She came with her father from Siberia and did not see her mom for t-w-o y-e-a-r-s. She was only seven years old!” The seasoned commentator stressed it r-e-p-e-a-t-e-d-l-y and would resume repeating it many more times at a few subsequent tournaments when Sharapova played. I was a little dumbfounded.

Really Mary?

What was so hard being separated from your mother?

Two years away from her mother, with her loving Dad, was hard to endure? Is it the American entitlement or American’s family value at it fullest?

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