Sharapova backs hometown Sochi's Winter Games bid

MOSCOW, May 10 (Reuters) Tennis player Maria Sharapova came out today in support of the bid by her Russian hometown Sochi to host the Winter Olympics in 2014.

Born in Siberia in 1987, Sharapova moved to the Black Sea resort two years later and spent the next six years in the city.

Sochi is competing with Austrian and South Korean cities to host the Games. A decision will be taken on July 4 in Guatemala.

''Sochi is the city where my love of tennis began when I was just four years old, watching my father on the local courts,'' the US Open champion said in a statement from Los Angeles.

''The changes Sochi 2014 will bring to this region, including state-of-the-art, custom-built winter training facilities, will mean that youngsters will not have to travel to the other side of the world to realise their potential.'' The statement said former Wimbledon champion Sharapova would be a key ambassador for Russia's bid.

''Sochi is an incredibly beautiful place ... with miles of beaches in front of the city and snow-covered mountains soaring behind,'' world number two Sharapova said.

REUTERS BJR RK1910