Sharapova's start brings up golden Slam

Buzz, after all, takes many forms and Maria Sharapova has created an early splash on two fronts with her undefeated mark (14-0) which includes an Australian Open title in January, having arrived in Melbourne with retro-looking, blunt-cut bangs.

The fit-for-an-Austin Powers-movie look -- "It grows like weeds," Sharapova says -- was spawned in December and has made its way through about 48,000 air miles since then to the current tour stop, the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells.

Now for some re-education, for youngsters, about the golden Slam. Steffi Graf won it in 1988, sweeping the four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year and punctuating the achievement by adding the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Sharapova, who will turn 22 in April and would have been 2 when Graf finished the feat, didn't quite mimic the famous John McEnroe line -- "You cannot be serious" -- but put her own spin on the concept when the Graf anniversary was mentioned by a reporter.

"Let's not get carried away here," said an amused Sharapova at Wednesday's media roundtable session. "I mean, 14-0 has nothing to do with a gold Slam and winning the Olympics in one year. Anything is possible. I think it is.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, if I'm capable of doing that, to be honest. Yeah, it can happen."

The most recent best start came from Justine Henin, who opened 2004 with 16 consecutive victories. Henin won the Australian Open that year and the Olympics in Athens. Illness, however, kept her from playing Wimbledon and caused a rare, early loss at the French Open.

Henin, in fact, represents the biggest obstacle on what would be a long road for Sharapova to the Slam. That, and the clay of Paris. Sharapova is one major (the French Open) from a career Slam, having won on the other three surfaces.

The fourth-seeded Sharapova, who will play Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France today in the second round, spoke about what it will take to knock off Henin and win the French Open. Henin is not playing Indian Wells.

"Especially on clay, a lot of patience," said Sharapova, who reached the French Open semifinals last year. "Even though it's not my best surface, I still kind of grew up on it, the majority of my junior tournaments I spent on clay, actually.

"I only play a couple of tournaments a year on it, so my focus at this point is to do well in these tournaments.