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(Adds conclusion of Sharapova’s match from second paragraph.)
Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Maria Sharapova finished last edible inside the top 5 in women’s tennis for the first time since 2007. At Nike Inc.’s Cole Haan section, she’s No. 1.
The fourth-seeded Russian, who beat Argentina’s Gisela Dulko today in her beginning match at the Australian Open, suffered a serious shoulder injury in 2008 after successful in Melbourne, the third of her major titles. The time off gave the 24-year-old a chance to be intent on another interest: fashion.
The $148 flat ballet shoe she designed is one of the paramount sellers for the Nike wholly-owned subsidiary. She was forced into a nine-month bust from the game in mid-2008 because of shoulder surgery, giving her a chance to concentration on something other than tennis, Sharapova said. Her first Cole Haan collection was introduced in the spring of 2009.
“It was very an experiment for me,” said Sharapova, who gets a percentage of sales from both her Cole Haan postcard and a collection of Nike tennis dresses, which she also designs. “I certainly did not characterize as I would be making any money from this because I had zero experience.
Source: BusinessWeek