Russian beauty Maria Sharapova on Saturday accused a New Zealand journalist of "stalking" her after he asked if she spent time with Anna Kournikova and frequented a club for "hot Russians".

"You're the guy from New Zealand, huh?" Sharapova said, when she recognised the male journalist from this month's Auckland Classic. "Oh God, you're stalking me!"

"It's not stalking if you love someone," the journalist said jokingly, to which Sharapova replied: "It can be slightly, trust me."

The 23-year-old also fended off the reporter's question, asking whether there was a "hot Russians club where you get together". She said: "No. I didn't know I was part of it. But no."u00a0