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Sharapova Knocked Out of Australian Open

Maria Sharapova in Istanbul 2011 WTA Championship.

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova made an early exit during the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday, ending the pursuit of her fifth Grand Slam title.

Sharapova, who first won Wimbledon at the age of 17 and was ranked as Russia's top celebrity by Forbes magazine last year, lost to Slovak player Dominika Cibulkova, ranked No. 24 in the world.

Ranked No. 3, Sharapova was the second upset star at this year's tournament, as world No. 1, American Serena Williams, lost to Serbian Ana Ivanovic on Sunday.

The Australian Open was Sharapova's first Grand Slam appearance since injuring her shoulder last August. Her last title at one of tennis's top four events was at the French Open in 2012.

The 1.88 meter tall athlete announced in November that she would assist U.S. broadcaster NBC in their coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, her hometown.

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