Maria Sharapova agrees with chair umpire Marija Cicak's hindrance call against childhood friend Maria Kirilenko during her 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Cicak made the call with Kirilenko serving at 4-5, 15-30 in the second set, when Kirilenko rapidly banged her racket on the ground three times from behind the baseline during a point. Cicak stopped the point and awarded it to Sharapova. Kirilenko complained, telling Cicak that she should not be making that kind of call during a crucial time in the match, but the umpire stuck with the call. Kirilenko ended up winning the game anyway.
Sharapova said she saw and heard the racket tapping.
"Unless you're deaf, of course you notice it," Sharapova said. "The whole stadium was quiet. So, yeah, it's not something I've ever come across. Maybe in the 12-and-unders, but not very recently. It's very rare…It's one thing if you do it once, but I think she did it three or four times. That's a whole 'nother story. It's not like a hockey puck or something. She forgot, I think, the sport."
Kirilenko is dating NHL hockey star Alexander Ovechkin. She and Sharapova no longer hang out off court like they used to.—Matt Cronin