Summary of "Maria Sharapova".

Reach for the Top (Part II) briefly narrates the life and career of Maria Sharapova, one of the world’s best-known tennis stars. Behind her ready smile, disarming manner and glamorous attire lies the hard work and sacrifice that enabled Maria Sharapova to achieve the world number one position in women’s tennis on 22 August 2005. Poised beyond her years, the Siberian bom teenager took just four years as a professional to reach the pinnacle. However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years before with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when her father, Yuri, brought her to the US to be trained in tennis. Her mother Yelena could not accompany her due to visa restrictions. In the US she missed her mother badly; her father, too, was working as much as he could to pary for her tennis-training, so, she couldn’t see him either. But she knew that the sacrifice was an inevitable price to pay for her big aspirations.

Maria was born in Siberia in Russia and left her home town at the tender age of nine to pursue her dream of becoming a tennis star. She had to stay separately from her mother and moved to Florida along with her father to proceed with her training. Her father worked laboriously to fund her tennis training. Although she suffered bullying on account of being a foreigner, she never lost hope or gave in to petty remarks. Her will and determination led her to achieve success and reap satisfying results from her practice sessions. Apart from practising tennis, her hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. Although she mentions that money is a motivating factor for playing tennis, her sole aim remains to become and continue being number one in the world of tennis.