Ahead of Wimbledon 2019, Here's a Throwback to 2004 Women's Singles Final Between Maria Sharapova vs Serena Williams (Watch Video)
Maria Sharapova announced herself to the world with a victory against Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final. Sharapova beat Serena Williams 6–1, 6-4 in a one sided match and made heads turn as she became only the second woman from Russia to win a Grand Slam.
Wimbledon 2019 begins from July 1 and it's that time of the year when tennis greats don pristine white short and shirt to compete in the most reputed and oldest grand slam in the sport. And in the run-up to this year's Wimbledon, we visit some of the most memorable moments from recent times at SW19. In this part, we visit a very special occasion from Wimbledon dating back to 2004. The 2004 Wimbledon final featuring Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova is considered one of the historic matches in the history of tennis. Ahead of Wimbledon 2019, Here's a Throwback to 2013 Men's Singles Final Between Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic (Watch Video).
In the 2004 Wimbledon Final, Maria Sharapova defeated the two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6–1, 6–4 to emerge victorious in the Ladies' Singles tennis title at SW19 Championship. The 17-year-old Sharapova defeating Serena Williams was hailed as one of the most "stunning upsets" in tennis history.
Watch Highlights From Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova 2004 Wimbledon Final Match in Video Below
Maria Sharapova won the Wimbledon 2004 final against Serena Williams and broke into the top 10 for the first time with this victory. With the 2004 win, Sharapova joined the likes of Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis and became the third youngest Women's Singles player after Dod and Hingis to win the Wimbledon title.
Sharapova became the second Russian woman after Anastasia Myskina to win a Grand Slam. It was also the beginning of the rivalry between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, that Williams went on to dominate in years to come. With the loss against Sharapova, Serena Williams dream of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles since Steffi Graf came to an abrupt end.
However, on that day and in that final, Maria Sharapova reigned supreme and announced herself to the world. Sharapova has a Singles Record of 197 - 50 in Grand Slams and is among the few players to have won the Career Grand Slam as she has won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Sharapova has a total of five Grand Slam titles in her career so far. She had turned PRO in the year 2001 and is one of the most senior players on the circuit.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2019 08:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).