The glamourous 18-year-old wowed the
crowds with her thudding groundstrokes
on court and her poise and determination
off it.
Sharapova had battled her way to the
final, dispatching three seeds along
the way to set up a meeting with top
seed Serena Williams.
And Williams could find no answer to
the unshakeable Sharapova, who took
the title in straight sets.
Sharapova's form dipped in the immediate
aftermath of her Wimbledon victory and
she had to wait until October to win
another singles title in Seoul.
But she took the season-ending Championship
crown - again denying Williams - and
has remained consistent in 2005.
The Russian reached the Australian
Open semi-finals for the first time
and has added the Tokyo and Doha titles
to her career record.
She also played solidly at the French
Open before running out of gas against
a resurgent Justine Henin-Hardenne in
the quarter-finals.
Sharapova has so far remained focused
on her tennis, despite her extra-curricular
modelling work and TV appearances.
And if she is able to retain the hunger
for success that spurred her on last
season, Sharapova will have a second
Wimbledon crown and the world number
one spot in her sights.
