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HERE'S a Christmas gift for Singapore sports fans.
The Straits Times understands that tennis beauty Maria Sharapova is set to play an exhibition game here on Dec 30 against fellow Russian and world No 6 Anna Chakvetadze.
The leggy 20-year-old is tentatively scheduled to arrive two days before the match, and she is likely to make a few public appearances as well.
The match will probably be played at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, with the cheapest ticket set to cost about $150.
Court-side tickets are likely to be in the region of a few thousand dollars.
Hong Kong-based Entertainment Group Limited, the event company understood to be bringing the two stars in, is also organising next Thursday's 'Clash of Times' between world No 1 Roger Federer and retired seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras.
A spokesman for the company declined comment when contacted yesterday.
But a formal announcement of the Singapore event is expected next week.
Since shooting to prominence after winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon three years ago, Sharapova has garnered legions of fans with her poster-girl looks and sexy on-court attire.
Last year's US Open champion - well-known for her screams and grunts when she plays - is believed to command appearance fees of at least US$1 million (S$1.45 million).
This will not be her first appearance in South-east Asia. Two years ago, she won an exhibition match against Venus Williams in Bangkok.
Her season this year has been disrupted by injury, and she was unable to defend her titles in Zurich and Linz because of a shoulder complaint.
But she performed impressively in the season-ending WTA Tour Championship in Madrid last week, powering to victories over world No 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No 4 Ana Ivanovic.
In the semi-finals, she defeated Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-2, to maintain her 100 per cent record against her compatriot. It was the sixth time they had played each other.
Sharapova lost last Sunday's final to Justine Henin 7-5, 5-7, 3-6.
Chakvetadze, 20, has been one of the most improved players on the women's circuit this year.
Her ranking has shot up 10 rungs from No 16 last year, and she reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her four-year career at this year's US Open.
Local tennis fans are already rubbing their hands in glee.
Said supply chain planner Erwin Wong, 26 : 'I can't wait. Hopefully, this will be a taste of things to come. Perhaps world No 1 Henin will play here one day too.'
limze@sph.com.sg
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