Sharapova blames doctors for missing U.S. Open, Olympics

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova said on Friday that doctors were to blame for giving her an incorrect diagnosis, which deprived her of a chance to play in the U.S. Open and Beijing Olympics.

The 21-year-old tennis player withdrew from the WTA Rogers Cup in Montreal in late July because of a shoulder injury after a marathon second-round win over Marta Domachowska of Poland.

A scan revealed two small tears in her right shoulder. She later said: "It hurts me so much to miss the Olympics and the U.S. Open. I think this will be the first grand slam I have ever missed."

"I had been playing with the pain for a rather long time," Sharapova said on her Russian-language website. "Even in everyday life, during sleep, I felt it [the pain]."

The Russian tennis star is currently doing extensive rehab and strength work in Arizona. The treatment is due to last several months.

"I knew that this was more than just inflammation. It's a pity that the doctors failed to make the correct diagnosis," Sharapova said, adding that the right diagnosis would have shortened the recovery time.

Sharapova is now No. 5 in the Women's Tennis Association world rankings, just below Russia's Elena Dementieva who won an Olympic gold medal in the final of the women's singles in Beijing.

Maria Sharapova announces USD 210,000 scholraship for students from Chernobyl

Tennis star Maria Sharapova announced on Thursday that she is launching a USD 210,000 scholarship program for students from Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus.

The program is a joint initiative of the Maria Sharapova Foundation and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), where she serves as Goodwill Ambassador. The scholarships will enable 12 talented young people from Chernobyl-affected regions to follow a full course of studies at two leading universities in Belarus.

Sharapova's foundation has already contributed USD 100,000 to youth-oriented projects in the regions of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.

The Tennis star Sharapova was expected to travel to Belarus to launch the scholarship program in person this month, but was forced to postpone her visit in order to receive medical treatment for a shoulder injury that prevented her from participating in the Beijing Olympics and the US Open. Her visit is now planned for 2009.

And she added that she’ll probably be just as busy in 20 years time: “I’ll probably be a mom with a couple of kids.

"It has always been my dream to contribute to the recovery of a region where I have a personal connection," said Sharapova, who has family roots in Gomel, Belarus. "Enabling talented young people to pursue higher education is part of a broader effort to build a brighter future for the region."

Injury likely to keep Sharapova out for rest of season

Maria Sharapova is unlikely to return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour this year, her longtime agent, Max Eisenbud, said Wednesday. The reigning Australian Open champion pulled out of the Beijing Olympics and the U.S. Open after an MRI exam in Montreal this month revealed two small tears in her right shoulder.

The 21-year-old Russian — who appeared in New York for opening ceremonies at the year's final major — first injured the shoulder in a fourth-round match at the 2006 U.S. Open and reinjured it in a first round win at Montreal earlier in August, according to Eisenbud.

Sharapova has occasionally had bouts of serving difficulties. Eisenbud said this was likely due to her subconscious effort to move her ball toss and avoid the pain.

The three-time major winner is under doctor's orders not to hit a ball the next four weeks and will spend most of the fall in a hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., rehabbing her shoulder with Brett Fischer. Fischer is a prominent physical therapist who has worked with many professional baseball players, among them Chicago Cubs' pitcher Kerry Wood.

Maria Sharapova undergoes injury rehab

Scottsdale continues to be a haven for stars and star athletes and its resort properties are keeping up with their sophisticated tastes.

Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova spent five days at the Scottsdale Mondrian recently with her coach and personal assistant.

Sharapova was in the Valley receiving treatment for an injured shoulder.

When she wasn't inside her suite that offers pillow top mattresses, luxury bedding and 42-inch plasma TVs with on-demand movies, Sherapova spent her down time lounging at the Mondrian's pool, insiders said.