Decibel Maria

Maria Sharapova goes noisily on the way out
By Jim Peltz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 28, 2008
She goes noisily on way out

Second-ranked Maria Sharapova might have been bounced out of Wimbledon by long shot Alla Kudryavtseva, but Sharapova did not go quietly.

The shrieks, yelps and grunts let out by Sharapova during her second-round loss at times reached decibel levels louder than a motorcycle or lawn mower, Britain's Daily Telegraph claimed.

The paper said it used a digital sound-level meter to measure the piercing sounds from Sharapova, whom it said "is known as the noisiest player on the circuit."

While normal conversation is between 60 and 70 decibels, Sharapova's top reading Thursday was 103.2 decibels, the paper said.

"Last year, Sharapova broke her previous record of 102.7 -- equivalent to an ambulance siren -- by yelling at 103.7, greater than the noise of a small aircraft landing," according to the Telegraph.