The Russian pin-up walked on to a packed Court One – in men’s shorts and was cheered as she launched into her own routine to keep cool.

She slowly peeled off her jacket to reveal the outfit which has been the talk of the championships.

Fans were shocked when Miss Sharapova, 21, announced she would be ditching eye-catching dresses and wearing men’s’ shorts instead this year.

But supporters were not left disappointed as she stripped down to a near see-through sleeveless top.

Some gave a big sigh of approval – after being rewarded with a brief glimpse of her thighs as she ­adjusted her outfit.

She effortlessly saw off French qualifier Stephanie Foretz 6-1 6-4 in her opening match.

Maria adjusts her outfit

Then, just an hour and 15 minutes after stepping on court Miss Sharapova found herself explaining how she came to choose her new look.

Miss Sharapova said she “loved menswear in general” and wanted to create an image which returned to the golden days of tennis in the Twenties.

The outfit, which she helped design for Nike, is said to pay homage to a “British heritage and tradition deeply embedded in Wimbledon’s roots”.

The 2004 women’s singles champion said: “Every time at Wimbledon I want to do something classy and elegant.

“It was fun doing it because it’s hard to do things different with white. I thought why not do shorts this year? I’ve never done it at a grand slam. You know if there’s one place to do it, it’s here.”

Maria also wore Tiffany earrings worth £2,500. She explained: “Every girl loves diamonds.” Of course.