SIDEBAR: Sharapova shocked by Japan crisis 25 years after Chernobyl

Mar 15, 2011, 1:16 GMT

Indian Wells, California - Maria Sharapova has been jolted out of the tennis bubble by the ongoing nuclear emergency in Japan, after last week's earthquake and tsunami which has devastated the northern part of the country.

The unfolding tragedy hits home for the three-time Grand Slam winner, who was born in the wake of the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine a quarter of a century ago.

The LA-based Russian advanced Monday into the third round of the Indian Wells Masters, defeating Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-2 and wearing a T-shirt post-match that marked the quarter-century anniversary of the Soviet disaster.

It didn't take much for the 16th seed to voice her concern for an issue outside of the courts.

'In terms of what's going on over there, it's crazy and something that you can't even prepare for. It happens, and you see the coverage on it and the videos, and it's really incredible that something like that can even happen in the world,' she said.

Sharapova has won three WTA titles in Tokyo.

'(The disaster) opens your eyes and, obviously, puts a lot of perspective in your life,' she said. 'It's a country where I have very great memories from. I started playing there when I was very young, and I always loved my experiences there. So to see it going on there to its culture and the people, it's really sad.'

Sharapova, 23, is no newcomer to political causes after being born in Siberia when her parents - including her pregnant mother - fled Ukraine after the nuclear plant accident in 1986.

She has worked for Chernobyl victim charities and appeared in a documentary on the tragedy.

'Even though something like that happened such a long time ago, it still causes many people on a daily basis, especially kids that were born and now are having kids, you know, you also find that they have something in their body that's not allowing them to live a normal life from the pollution,' Sharapova said.

'Some of the coverage they shot doing the documentary and in the radiation area, because I have never actually been around the area. ESPN covered it. I wanted to get all the coverage and all the videos around it, because it's really unbelievable what you see. This big huge area, it's completely deserted. No one is around it.

'Everyone has completely fled. They took their passports and that's all. That was their only belonging that they really wanted.'

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