Selflessness? not sure about it....

World number 5 Maria Sharapova has recently decided to represent Russia in the Fed Cup quarter final against Israel on 2-3 February. She would help Anna Chakvetadze, Dinara Safina, Elena Vesnina and Elena Likhovtseva in getting along to the semis.
It would be a very positive information about Maria, but it's not that simple, easy, and disinterested as it seems to be...
As all of you know this year we have the Olympic Games in Beijing. A very important torunament for players of all disciplines, as well as tennis. But to take a chance in China it is obligatory to take part in Fed-Cup or Davis Cup.
Maria says: "I'm so excited about this trip. It's one of my priorities for this year".

Sharapova's Fed Cup history is a very long one, although the Russian haven't played for the team a single match. The superstar, who spent the most part od her life in the States, many times before said she wanna be a part of the team, but as soon as everything was set for her debut, she refused to participate. This was not the only issue that caused unpleasenties in the russian team.
In november of 2004, the freshly crowned French Open champion Anstasia Myskina vowed, she won't support the team if Sharapova was to play for the team, saying she doesn't like the Wimbledon champion's father, Yuri. "I feel his behavior is totally incorrect, simply rude. I don't want to be around people like him. If she joins our team next season, you won't see me there for sure," Myskina said.
The next little scandal came around at the end of last year, as the russian girls managed to win the Fed Cup final against Italy. The team leaders - Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze, showed their anger towards Maria as she showed up unexpected at the final cheering for Russia. Kuznetsova didn't understand, why Maria actually came having not played for Russia before. She also made it vocal, that the fact that Sharapova appeared in the russian contingents box was very inappropriate. Anna Chakvetadze backed up her team mate saying, she didn't understand, why Sharapova came down on court partying with team, who fought so hard to win this rubber.

These facts make her contribiution to the Fed Cup very questionable.
Oh girl, we are sure that playing in Olympics is a big distinction, but hey! Representing Your country is just the same, and what's more it is also kind of a duty for a player being called to the national team!

Oh Masha, You have let down the whole redaction of Argwus! Luckily we are optimists, and we all hope that You won't stop Your Fed-Cup career on February match against Israel...

~djoko