Love-struck Sharapova hates watching matches live

London: Russian tennis star and Wimbledon title hopeful Maria Sharapova has candidly admitted that watching sport is worse than playing it, especially after her engagement to Russian basketball safety guard Sasha Vujacic.

The Daily Express quoted love-struck Sharapova, 24, as saying: "I've been more nervous watching some of the games he (Vujacic) has played in than I have ever been in my life. It's a lot easier to play than to watch. I have discovered that being on the sidelines, watching matches live, or on the television is really tough. Forget it, just don't do it."

"When you play and then watch somebody close to you, then you understand the situation more. You want that person to do so well and yet you are still supporting 10 other people on the court. Some days you are the hero, sometimes you end up losing a game in which you have played great. I know the feeling, I've been there," she added.

Fifth-seeded Sharapova is to meet Chinese Shuai Peng on Court Two at Wimbledon today. Sharapova is the favourite with some bookies and looks more like the player who so devastatingly won here in 2004, when she was just 17.

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