It is well known in the tennis world that Russian Maria Sharapova accompanies each of her hits with a grunt that makes many fans and fellow tennis players uncomfortable. Can anyone silence Sharapova?
The controversy over Sharapova’s noise was reopened. This time it was Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska that complained after losing in the Australian Open against Victoria Azarenka. After the match, in a press conference, she said that her rival and Sharapova both bother her with their loud reactions.
Sharapova heard the criticism and replied, without missing a beat, "Isn't she back in Poland already?"
But it doesn’t end there. Journalist Glenn Mitchell followed with a joke of his own: ''You wouldn't want to be in the hotel room next to Maria Sharapova on her wedding night! The bloody noise would drive you mad!"
Sharapova, though usually the one singled out, is not the loudest player in the circuit. Her Australian Open opponent for the final, Azarenka, has a much louder and longer noise that has started being imitated in Melbourne.
Sharapova’s yells have been measured at over 100 decibels and was only 10 percent lower than the noisiest stands in Australia.
The Women's Tennis Association is again looking into the issue of the "grunters" and it seems will make a decision on the subject soon, as it has been confirmed that the noise is also bothersome to the fans.
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