Move over, Anna Kournikova.

Teenage sensation Maria Sharapova has replaced the glamour girl of tennis as Russia's newest sweetheart following her dream run to the Wimbledon title.

The Siberian blonde has become an instant hit back home, hailed as the country's biggest star, her picture gracing the front page of almost every national newspaper.

"Maria, Queen of England," exclaimed leading sports daily Sovietsky Sport on Monday.

"Beautiful Masha. She became the first Russian to win the world's most prestigious tennis tournament," echoed the respected Kommersant.

"Russian tennis achieved its biggest success on Saturday," wrote the business daily in its frontpage editorial, describing Sharapova's 6-1 6-4 demolition of twice-champion and former world number one Serena Williams in the final.

In only her second visit to Wimbledon, Sharapova became the third youngest champion in the event's 120-year history.

The Russian became the first 13th seed to win the title and only Monica Seles and Tracy Austin had won grand slam titles with less experience of top-flight tennis.

"Nobody bet on Maria but she won the super tournament as well

as a million dollars," said popular tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.

But it was Sharapova's youthful exuberance, good looks and sex

appeal that made her a crowd

favourite at the All England Club and

wildly popular back home.

Although she moved to the United States at the age of seven and speaks her native language with a distinct foreign accent, Russians have adopted Sharapova as truly one of their own.

During the fortnight, her fairy tale story has been rewritten and discussed by most newspapers and talk shows.

Russian tennis has blossomed in the last few years.

Marat Safin grabbed the 2000 US Open and inspired Russia to their first ever Davis Cup in 2002 to take up the trail paved by Yevgeny

Kafelnikov who won the 1996 Roland Garros and 1999 Australian Open and the 2000 Sydney Olympic gold.

Tennis is still a young sport in Russia as during the Soviet era the game was branded as capitalist by the Communist Party.

It only blossomed after being picked up by Russia's first postSoviet president Boris Yeltsin, a passionate fan of the game.

"The 17-year-old reached a success, which was a dream of generations of our tennis players," the Soviet Sport wrote, quoting Sharapova as saying: "Serena was my icon."

Maria Sharapova, the lowest ranked woman to win Wimbledon, followed Anastasia Myskina's French Open triumph in an allRussian final for a Grand Slam breakthrough for Russia in women's tennis.

"Paris, London. Then the rest," screamed the front page headline of Izvestia over a photo of her kissing her Wimbledon trophy.

Sharapova's Wimbledon triumph has even helped lift the gloom among millions of Russian fans following the country's disappointing showing at Euro 2004.

"So what if England has Wayne Rooney," said Nikolai, 31, a kiosk vender in central Moscow, of the 18-year-old England striker, who became a real revelation in Portugal.

"We have our Masha to be proud of. Besides, she's much better looking anyway."