Upset of the day: Battle of the Marias

January 18th, 2010 • Maria Kirilenko, Maria Sharapova

Q. How would you describe your sense of confidence right now?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Uhm, well, I’m leaving on Monday of the first week, so that explains a lot.

On the first Rod Laver Arena match of the tournament, Maria Kirilenko defeated former champion Maria Sharapova in 3 hours and 22 minutes. It was hardly what one would call a quality match: Sharapova alone had 77 unforced errors and 11 double faults. In the end, it was exciting, it was an upset, everyone likes seeing seeds falling, but, most importantly, it was nice to Kiri (who had a terrible season last year) start this one with such a good kick. Kuddos, tiny Kiri.

Now, there’s something I need to talk before I go in the match (do I ever do that?): Sharapova’s dress. I’ll miss it. It’s a shame it’s leaving so early. I do agree with most of you that think it’s over the top — it is. But the thing is, in the last few seasons, “tennis fashion” should have been stripped of the word “fashion”. It was stuck in the commonplace so badly that all we had was revamped colours for athletic outfits. Now, this? (Whatever this is.) Is a proper design. With multilayers (maybe a little less colour would have been ace) and work. Kiri seems to agree it’s a good dress.

Q. What did you think of Maria’s outfit or costume? Do you ever pay attention to things like that?

MARIA KIRILENKO: It was blue, I think, like POWERade. I mean, yeah, what can I say? Was good dress. She always have a nice dresses. I think I always have a nice dresses, as well.

Was good dress. Just what I said. Shame she’s colourblind.

Q. Is it possible I read on your lips vamos sometimes when you do a point, or not?

MARIA KIRILENKO: Yes, because I’m practicing in Spain, in Valencia, and all the guys, coaches, they always saying vamos. That’s why I think say instead of say, Come on, I said, Vamos.

Bless. (Now this is the part where someone throws rocks me at me for being so biased — when Sharapova screams ‘Vamos’, it’s annoying. When Kiri does it, it’s ‘Look how cute bb Kiri! *pat pat* Here, Kiri, have a cookie!’)

Q. You put your fingers to your lips late in the match. Was that to get the crowd to quieten down?

MARIA KIRILENKO: It’s unbelievable. I got so many questions in the locker room, in the players’ lounge. What did you do? What does it mean? I don’t know. Everyone can think what does that mean.

Normally, it was for me actually, that everything is calm, you know. Because, you know, of course it’s a great win, but it’s only the first round I pass. It’s nothing big happens actually.

What?

Q. Do you know that usually Arshavin does the same when he kicks the goal?

MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, that’s true. That’s what Kuznetsova just told me. Because she thinking that I was watching Arshavin before the match.

But that’s not it. I said, No, I didn’t watch.

Is Kuznetsova an Arsenal fan? Does she love Arshavin as much as I do? Maybe we should be friends.

And to finish this off. How did that feel, Kiri?

Yup, thought so. Get it! She will now play Austrian Yvonne Meusburger that defeated Swiss Timea Bacsinszky in the first round.

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