Sharapova and Buyukakcay bring the action to Istanbul

By Cody Fitzpatrick Nov 28, 2017
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Sharapova and Buyukakcay bring the action to Istanbul

ByCody Fitzpatrick

Published Nov 28, 2017

It may technically be the offseason, but Maria Sharapova snagged a last-minute trophy—albeit an exhibition one—in Istanbul on Sunday.

She took on Turkish No. 1 Cagla Buyukakcay in the TEB BNP Paribas Tennis Stars Series, winning the first set in a tiebreak and the second with a bagel.

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One notable fun moment came when a fan asked Sharapova to marry him. After mulling it over for a second, she landed on a "maybe," though her face didn't look too convincing:

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Prior to the exo, Sharapova hung out in Abu Dhabi with former Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg.

At No. 161, Buyukakcay is Turkey's highest-ranked player, man or woman. Since losing the WTA Championships to Singapore, the country now hosts only an International-level event on the WTA calendar.

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In any case, the small nation has certainly proved they know how to make an impressive trophy:

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Sharapova ended her comeback season ranked No. 60.