I'm no pin-up, says Sharapova

Blessed with supermodel looks and an effervescent personality, not to mention stunning athletic ability, the 17-year-old remains completely unspoilt.

Stunning tennis starlet Maria Sharapova says she has never thought of herself as a pin-up.

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Blessed with supermodel good looks and an effervescent personality, not to mention stunning athletic ability, the 17-year-old beauty remains completely unspoilt by all the interest she is attracting.

As her image adorned the pages of newspapers around the world, the Wimbledon finalist revealed she paid no attention to the publicity.

"I never considered myself as a pin-up and I never will," she said.

In Saturday's final, Sharapova will meet two-time defending champion Serena Williams who, as a keen fashion designer, always sparks questions about her outfits and appearance.

When quizzed on how important her image was to her, Sharapova was down to earth.

"I think it's very important to feel good about the way you look and to feel confident," she said.

"When you go on court and you feel like something is messed up and something's not right with the way you look or you don't feel confident with something, I think that can definitely hurt you a little bit and make you even more uncomfortable out there.

And, despite being a sponsors' dream, the teenager from Siberia maintained that tennis was her primary focus.

"I don't think about money, I just think that I'm in the final of Wimbledon," she said.

Having had 24 hours to reflect on her impressive semi-final victory over Lindsay Davenport, Sharapova was unaffected by the stir she had created, saying she felt "pretty calm".

So calm in fact, she got a good 10 hours' sleep.

"I'm the same person," she said.

"Yes I'm in the final of Wimbledon so of course a little bit has changed, but I'm still the same.

"These things that happen in the outside world, I just concentrate on the things that I have to do."