Maria Sham is over! Tennis ace shelves plan to change name to Sugarpova for US Open



Maria Sharapova has shelved plans to change her name to Sugarpova for the US Open.

The former world No 1, who is the richest female athlete in the world, had asked Florida's Supreme Court to push through her request on the understanding her name will revert back after the tournament.

But after serious consideration, Sharapova has decided not to change her name, her agent Max Eisenbud told ESPN.



Name changer: Maria Sharapova wants to be known as Miss Sugarpova for the duration of the US Open

OTHER TENNIS SWEET NAMES...

Maria Sugarpova

Andy Murray mints

David Ferrero Rocher

James Flake

Leyton Chewitt

John SnackenRoe

Boris Double Becker

Novak Djokotwix

Maria Kinder Beuno

Roger Freddo-rer

Lindtsey Davenport



'Maria has pushed her team to do fun, out-of-the-box-type things to get the word out about Sugarpova,' Eisenbud said. 'In Miami, we're going to fill a glass truck full of candy and drive it around town. This was an idea that fell along those lines.



'But, at the end of the day, we would have to change all her identification, she has to travel to Japan and China right after the tournament and it was going to be very difficult.'

The 26-year-old spent more than £300,000 setting up Sugarpova, a brand featuring brightly coloured sweets with such flavours as Smitten Sour, Quirky and Sporty.



According to The Times, Sharapova's outfit for the tournament, held at Flushing Meadows from August 26 to September 9, is due to carry the logo of her company, a pair of red lips. It is not known whether that will still be the case.



It is estimated that almost 2 million bags of her sweets were sold last year, topping up Sharapova's yearly earnings to £15million.

The farce follows confirmation that Sharapova has split with coach Jimmy Connors after just one match.

Sweet success: Sharapova hopes to push through the name change in the time for the US Open



Over and out: Coach Jimmy Connors (right) parted company with Sharapova after just one match

'It's not the right fit for this time in my career,' Sharapova said in a statement emailed to www.tennis.com.

Connors' only previous coaching role was with Andy Roddick in 2006 for 18 months, and it was a rather lean period in the career of the huge-serving American.

It means Sharapova is expected to go to the US Open without a coach.

The 2004 Wimbledon champion has won two tournaments this season, in Indian Wells and Stuttgart, but lost in the final of the French Open to Serena Williams who has beaten her the last 13 times the pair have met.





