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Japan’s nuclear crisis diverts Sharapova at Indian Wells

Maria Sharapova’s focus on the Indian Wells WTA tournament has been distracted as she keeps a close watch on Japan’s struggles to recover from last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Aftershocks and radiation leaks from damaged nuclear power plants in Japan raised fears of a meltdown, a grim development on the 25^th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Sharapova’s native Russia.

“It’s crazy and something that you can’t even prepare for,” the former world number one told reporters after overpowering 20^th-seeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-2 6-2 in the third round on Monday.

“It happens, and you see the coverage on it and the videos, and it’s really incredible that something like that can even happen in the world. Can you believe one disaster 25 years ago? Now another?

“It opens your eyes, and obviously puts a lot of perspective in your life. It’s a country where I have very great memories from. I started playing there when I was very young and I always loved my experiences there.”

While speaking at her post-match news conference, Sharapova wore a T-shirt commemorating Chernobyl’s 25^th anniversary.

The world’s worst nuclear accident in the Ukraine spewed clouds of radioactive dust into parts of Europe, Russia and especially Belarus, making large areas uninhabitable.

In 2007, Sharapova became a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Development Fund and donated $100,000 to help victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

“In the beginning, my job was raising awareness to the world really,” the three-times grand slam singles champion said.

“Even though something like that happened such a long time ago... kids that were born and now are having kids, you also find that they have something in their body that’s not allowing them to live a normal life from the pollution.”

Sharapova’s family left Gomel in Belarus after the Chernobyl accident. She was born in Nyagan in Siberia a year later but left Russia for the United States at the age of nine to study tennis.

The 23-year-old Russian is now based in Bradenton, Florida.