Ave Maria!

Much like former tennis hottie Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova (also a Russian) looks more like a model than an athlete. She's tall, skinny, and glamorous. But unlike Kournikova, Sharapova's got game as she once held the no. 1 ranking and is currently no. 3. Not only was she named the hottest female athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year by Maxim. But she is also now a multiple Grand Slam winner. So, she's got the looks. She's got the game. What does this mean? Maria Sharapova is the world's highest-paid female athlete.

I'm not a big fan of tennis, but when tennis look this good it's definitely worth watching. Thus, I woke up this morning to watch the US Open final between Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardene. While Henin-Hardenne sported a more traditional tennis attire topped by a white ballcap, Sharapova wore her night-match outfit, similar to a black cocktail dress, accessorized with silver shoes and dangling earrings. According to reports, the look is inspired by "Breakfast at Tiffany's," but the guess here is Audrey Hepburn never had a sponsor's swoosh on her outfit.

Throughout the match, Sharapova was serving magnificently (with 5 aces). And of course, you also hear those trademark shrieks. In the end, the 19-year-old dominated the match to win 6-4, 6-4 and claim her second Grand Slam title of her career (her first was is Wimbledon when she was still 17).

Although she looked like a well-seasoned athlete as she dominated the match, signs of her being a teenager were visible after the match. Sharapova dropped to her knees and covered her face, then rose and trotted to shake hands. Then Sharapova hopped up and down, looking for the first time all night like any other teen. Sharapova screamed and leapt in delight before heading into the stands to hug her father, Yuri. And when she was handed the US Open trophy, she was so excited that the lid actually fell off.

Then she declared during the interview that she was "so happy it's here in New York in my favourite city in the world." After all, her glamour perfectly fit New York City and the most popular TV ad at that time was her "I feel pretty!" Nike ads. In the commercial, that tune is sung by various people as Sharapova walks out onto court. The punch line: Sharapova swings her racket and lets out one of her trademark shrieks.

Even though Sharapova earned $1.7 million with her victory, she makes far more from endorsement deals than prize money.

She insists she's more substance than style. "I've been pretty good in the past balancing my time with my sponsors with my tennis, because I know my priority," Sharapova said in an interview two weeks ago. "At the end of the day, what I love doing is competing, and that's where my heart is at, on center court."