Sharapova's Return a Big Doodle

The tennis industry's attempt to clone Maria Sharapova has been a big flop, so it was the best news possible for the women's tour when the real Maria Sharapova posted this on her Web site: "I know it has been a long time, but I wanted my next doodle to be the one my fans were waiting for.''

And the doodle is? "I am very happy to report that I will make my singles return to the tour in Warsaw, Poland, the week of May 18.''

Thank ... God.

Let me say it again. Thank God.

Something to talk about, something to watch on the women's tour. Not too many years ago, the women's game had different styles, shapes, looks, names. The men's was mostly one boring blah. Now that has flipped.

And the women's game has started to become a little too much about agents finding the best looking girl who can smack a forehand, and then hoping to market her to the top of the rankings.

Somehow, looks and style have blended their way into the actual sport.

So now, the sport is loaded with attractive women who play the same way, swinging as hard as possible without strategy, and have names that look an awful lot alike to many Americans, ending in o-v-a.

Bo-ring.



Now, back from nine months off (except for a test-run doubles event) for shoulder surgery, Sharap... well... o-v-a, is back, a beautiful woman who just swings as hard as she can. Basically, she's doing what plenty of the others are doing, too.

But it works for her somehow. She's a superstar, a crossover athlete accepted to Americans, which translates to sponsors. Last year, Forbes Magazine said she's the world's highest paid women's athlete, with prize money and endorsements totaling $26 million a year. Serena Williams was next at $14 million.

The truth is, Sharapova isn't as good, or as accomplished as Williams.

She has a tendency to lose just before she should. But she has been ranked No. 1 and has won Wimbledon.

She is the legitimate Anna Kournikova.

So Sharapova is a model in several ways. The Sharapova clones, though, can't match her star power on- or off-court.

"My family and coach have been a tremendous part of this comeback,'' she doodled, "and I think it's important to acknowledge that without their drive, daily laughs, and endless belief in my ability, I would be sipping a pina colada on a deserted island (not that there's something wrong with that, but playing tennis is just so much more exciting at this stage of my life).''

No one will be happier than the British media. Many of them will dress properly for Wimbledon, go to the most proper event in the game, and then spend two weeks seeing if they can get a picture uncovering a new mole anywhere on Sharapova's body.

The women's tour was already starting to lose it before she left. It still has the Williams sisters, with Serena ranked No. 2 and Venus No. 3. They have star power and the power game.

But Serena is in a serious slump, and she embarrassed herself when she scoffed at being dropped to No. 2, saying that "quite frankly'' everyone knew she was the best. The next day, she lost in her first match of the Italian Open.

Danira Safina is No. 1, without star power. No one has been able to hang onto the top ranking or stand out in any way as the game is loaded with players who look alike and play alike.

Early in the decade, the game had a fresher Williams sisters story, Sharapova, the smarts of Martina Hingis, the guts on court and off-court soap opera of Jennifer Capriati, the amazing backhand of the best player, Justine Henin, the fight of Kim Clijsters. And of course, whatever it was Kournikova offered.

There was just so much diversity in so many ways.

Now, Sharapova returns. Clijsters is coming back and will surely reach the top 10 again, as the game has not improved one inch. Jelena Dokic, another fighter who retired, is working her way back.

Paging Jennifer Capriati.

Sharapova will struggle at first, especially at the French Open. Clay isn't her best surface. But if the shoulder holds up under her serve, it'll come back.

"Although it has not been an easy process these last few months, I really believe it's made me a much stronger person in so many areas of my life professionally and personally,'' she wrote. "There are so many things you learn while you are limited (from) something you love doing.

One of those things is patience, not my best virtue, but certainly one of my better ones now.''

Women's tennis has waited as long as it could.