Maria Sharapova is miffed at the WTA tour for trying to force her to do a pre-tournament photo shoot in Rome early next week, and she lashed out on her website. She was asked to do a promotional shoot Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of next week to promote the Rome Open, and she's in no mood to say, ``Cheese.''
Sharapova said she doesn't do shoots before tournaments because they distract her from her tennis. The WTA has threatened to fine her $300,000 -- after fining her $125,000 for pulling out of the Berlin Open.
'For a sport that has so much potential to grow, you would think the players' voices would be important, but unfortunately that's not the case,'' Sharapova wrote on her blog. ``They just do whatever they want and tell us what to do and how to do it. And on top of that walk around like they're the stars.
``I have tried to work with them, attended meetings, but they just do what they want and threaten to fine me. So, since they will not listen to me, I am going to start giving my fans a behind-the-scenes look at life on tour -- Let the fun begin!''
Sharapova already was the subject of some criticism when she withdrew from the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne in March.
She has played four tournaments this year.
''Players have many obligations both on and off the court, and what is being asked of players in Rome is in the rules,'' the WTA said in a statement.
Sharapova insists that she is happy to promote the tour, but not when it wants her to.
''To be honest, I would love to do this and help promote the tour as much as possible,'' she wrote. ``But to force me to do this shoot the day before a Tier I tournament is just not right.''
MORE BICKERING
Spanish players also are griping about officials this week. Eight of the top Spanish men are angry with Pedro Munoz, the head of the Spanish tennis federation, over the choice of Madrid as the venue for the Davis Cup semifinal against the United States from Sept. 19-21.
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Carlos Moya, Tommy Robredo, Nicolas Almagro, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez have vowed not to do any promotional events or publicity as long as Munoz is in charge.
''We feel obliged to make public our unease and disagreement with the president of the RFET and his management,'' the players said in a statement issued in Rome, where they were playing. ``We have been continually misled over decisions from the outset of his tenure.''
Word is that Madrid will be announced as the venue, and players said they would rather play at sea level because the court will be slower and inhibit the huge-serving American team, led by Andy Roddick.
BACK FOR MORE
Younes El Aynaoui, the entertaining Moroccan player best known for his five-hour, 83-game semifinal loss to Roddick at the 2003 Australian Open, is making a comeback at age 36 after missing most of the past two seasons with wrist injuries.
El Aynaoui, once ranked as high as No. 14, is down to 295, but he made a shocking run to the semifinals in Munich, Germany, last week, becoming the oldest ATP semifinalist since Jimmy Connors won at age 40 more than 15 years ago. El Aynaoui defeated 19-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 6-4. It was El Aynaoui's first semifinal victory in five years.
TICKET TO FRANCE
Wayne Odesnik of Weston beat Boca Raton's Jesse Levine in a USTA playoff to earn the U.S. wild card into the French Open main draw. Odesnik, ranked No. 109, made the semifinals at the clay event in Houston last month. The women's U.S. wild card went to 18-year-old Madison Brengle.
