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ABOUT SPORTS BIZ

Darren Rovell brings you his unique take on the business of sports: a multi-billion dollar global industry and obsession full of personalities and products. On Sports Biz, Darren will give you his up-to-date take on everything from salaries to endorsement deals to marketing and promotions, trades and tirades – in short, everything that makes sports so exciting.

Sharapova Vs Ivanovic: The Hottest Marketing Match

Published: Friday, 24 Aug 2007 | 3:21 PM ET

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By: Darren Rovell
Sports Business Reporter

Maria Sharapova
Source: MariaSharapova.com
Maria Sharapova
It doesn’t take much skill to discover who’s now. It’s a little bit better to call who’s next. So I’m doing it right now. Ana Ivanovic is the next Maria Sharapova. And the only thing Maria can do about it is make sure that she has a better record on the court than Ivanovic. Because the marketing momentum of this 19-year-old Serbian seems to be unstoppable.

Over the next couple days, I’ll be doing a special on the marketing of Sharapova, the most marketable woman in sports, and Ivanovic, who with great play, could soon takeover that title.

So what I’m saying is, if you haven’t already, bookmark this page. It’s going to be some of the strongest days you’ve seen from this blog.

We’ll start with Sharapova, who has deals with Nike[NKE Loading... () ] , Canon, Motorola [MOT Loading... () ], Land Rover, Colgate-Palmolive [CL Loading... () ] , Gatorade, Prince, Parlux Fragrances and Tag Heuer. First, let’s get business out of the way. We’re told that the three deals that are up--Canon, Motorola and Tag Heuer--will, not surprisingly be re-signed soon. Now, on to what’s going on. We’re loving Sharapova’s dress she’ll wear for next week’s U.S. Open. Click on the link below to take a look.

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MARIA SHARAPOVA SLIDE SHOW

Last year’s Audrey Hepburn tribute was awesome, but I’d say this one tops it. Kudos to the folks at Nike.

Maria Sharapova
Source: Fathead
Maria Sharapova

What else is new for Sharapova this year? It’s Fathead. Sharapova’s Fathead. We’re told it’s not exactly life-sized--it’s 5-foot-8 inches tall--but we don’t think people will have a problem with that. This thing will sell.

Lastly on the Sharapova front, we have Prince’s move. This awesome limited edition Sharapova collection of racquet bags.

“Racquet bags don’t have to look like gym bags,” Sharapova said in a statement. “Like any other bag in a women’s wardrobe, it should complement her and add a touch of glamour. I wanted to bring a sense of style to the racquet bag, while at the same time make it completely functional and durable."

A bag that holds three racquets costs $50 and a six-racket bag costs $70. The bag will hit stores Nov. 1 in the U.S. only.