Tennis: Rich list? What do they know, scoffs Sharapova
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Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates defeating compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in their women's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan 22, 2013. Sharapova on Tuesday scoffed at being rated the world's highest-paid female athlete by Forbes, and sarcastically asked if the magazine had access to her bank account. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MELBOURNE (AFP) - Maria Sharapova on Tuesday scoffed at being rated the world's highest-paid female athlete by Forbes, and sarcastically asked if the magazine had access to her bank account.
The Russian tennis star was listed with annual earnings of US$27.9 million (S$34.2 million) to put her comfortably ahead of China's Li Na on US$18.1 million, her opponent in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday.
"Since when do we pay attention to Forbes?" Sharapova replied icily, when asked about the list at a press conference.
"Do you think that they have my pass code to my bank account?" she asked the reporter, who replied he did not know.
