WTT Newport Beach Breakers had a strong team that year and made the finals. Doubly lucky for me there were not one, not two, but three Russian (or at least Russian speaking) players on the roster. Sharapova is absent from the pciture because she only came once or twice for the marquee matches, but these two were the mainstay, and we did some hanging out together, ostensibly for interviews.
This shot is by my friend, one time boss and photography mentor, Bruce Gauger. I got him credentialed for the World Team Tennis event where Sharapova was the big draw, and I was there, so I could have taken this photo, but he did.
Sergei and his brother Fedor, who came to Anaheim that day as part of a visiting rival team. To play together with his little brother was a declared goal of Sergei's. He briefly got his wish, but Fedor's work ethics did not measure up to NHL standards.
