Istanbul: Maria Sharapova was in for a sweet surprise when a fan shouted out a marriage proposal to her during an exhibition match in Istanbul. Up against Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay, Sharapova was about to serve when a fan shouted “Maria, will you marry me?” While the proposal invoked laughter in the Sinam Erdem Hall, Sharapova’s reaction was even better.
Nodding her head in her beginning, Sharapova smilingly looked towards the audience and scratched her chin before saying “Maybe.”
Buyukakcay, ranked 161st in the world, showed some resistance in the first set only for Sharapova to edge through 7-5. However, the former world No. 1 brought all her experience into play in the second set to blank her opponent 6-0.
Sharapova returned to professional tennis after a 15-month doping ban in April. While Sharapova was not given a wildcard entry in the French Open, US Open provided her with the wildcard and Sharapova dazzled on the court, even beating Simona Halep in the opening round, before going down to Latvian Anastasija Sevastova in the Round of 16.
Thereon, Sharapova also scooped her first WTA title since return at Tianjin beating Belarusian teenager Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 7-6(8) in the final.
Currently, Sharapova is being investigated by Indian police in a cheating and criminal conspiracy case relating to a real estate firm whose housing project, endorsed by the Russian star, never took off.
