Maria Sharapova unchallenged as world's top earning female athlete.

 The Russian tennis player  Maria Sharapova remains unchallenged as the world's highest paid woman in professional sports. But  Sharapova may not have won a grand slam title since 2008.For the seventh straight year, Sharapova topped the annual list provided by Forbes magazine, despite failing to add to her three grand slam titles, although she did make the Wimbledon final in July.Sharapova's earnings, mostly off-court endorsements, were estimated at $25 million, twice as much as her nearest rival, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, the current women's world number one.


Top 10 women earners
1. Maria Sharapova $25 million (Russia, tennis)
2. Caroline Wozniacki $12.5 million (Denmark, tennis
3. Danica Patrick $12 million (U.S., motor racing)
4. Venus Williams $11.5 million (U.S., tennis)
5. Kim Clijsters $11 million (Belgium, tennis)
6. Serena Williams $10.5 million (U.S., tennis)
7. Kim Yuna $10 million (figure skating, South Korea)
8. Li Na $8 million (China, tennis)
9. Ana Ivanovic $6 million (Serbia, tennis)
10. Paula Creamer $5.5 million (U.S., golf)

Kvitova wins Wimbledon title.

Petra Kvitova won her first Grand Slam title Saturday by beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4 at Wimbledon.Kvitova was playing in her first major final, but three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova who showed her nerves.  Unfortunately in tennis there's only one winner at the end of the day and that's what makes this tournament so special,'' Sharapova said before turning her attention to Kvitova. ''So big congratulations on a wonderful victory, you played a wonderful tournament.'The 21-year-old Kvitova is the first left-handed woman to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990.

Maria Sharapova reach final.

The fifth-seeded Sharapova overcame 13 double-faults to beat Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-3. Sharapova had two double-faults in her opening service game, the second to get broken. She had two more while trailing 3-0, but saved a break point and then won 12 of the final 16 games.The turning point in the match may have come on that first saved break point at 3-0.With Lisicki playing near flawless tennis through the first three games, she turned to the drop shot, which was so effective against Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals. But this one went into the net, putting the score at deuce and giving the momentum to Sharapova.

Maria Sharapova back into Wimbledon semifinals.

When Maria Sharapova says her game is getting better and better at Wimbledon, it's hard to argue.Sharapova won the Wimbledon title in 2004 when she was only 17. She made the semifinals the next two years, but hadn't been back this far since."I certainly feel like I've improved, especially from my second round," said Sharapova.To reach a second final, she'll have to beat German wild-card entry Sabine Lisicki."It's been a few years since I got past the fourth round, and now I'm in the semifinals," said Sharapova, who has not lost a set at this year's tournament. "So this a great chance for me to take it a step further."