June 27 (Bloomberg) — Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia took delight in dumping former champion Maria Sharapova and her outfit out of Wimbledon yesterday.
“It’s very pleasant to beat Maria,” said Kudryavtseva. “Why? Well, I don’t like her outfit.”
Kudryavtseva, the daughter of a Greco-Roman wrestling world champion, won in straight sets to hand the 2004 winner and Russian countrywoman her earliest exit at Wimbledon. The victory over the No. 3 seed meant Kudryavtseva, who’s ranked 154th, matched her previous best performance at a Grand Slam by reaching the third round. She’ll next play Shuai Peng of China.
Sharapova’s outfit, a white tuxedo-styled jacket and shorts by her sponsor Nike Inc., attracted as many questions at her first-round post-match press conference as her on-court performance. Kudryavtseva, who wore a white skirt and tank top, said her Federation Cup teammate’s attire “was one of the motivations to beat her.”