Maria Sharapova’s Sugarpova candy snubs Philly

You won't find Maria Sharapova's Flirty gummy candy (shaped like lips) or her Sporty gumballs (shaped like tennis balls) at your corner store.

The rollout of the Russian-born tennis star's new upscale confections, priced at $5.99 for a 5-ounce bag, seems to have skipped the immediate Philadelphia area.

It's available in London and Australia, with plans for Russia, China and Japan, but her Silly's not in Philly.

To buy the likes of Cheeky, Chic (shaped like high heels and handbags), Splashy, Smitten Sour or Spooky Sour gummies, or Quirky soft chews, area folks will have to order online (www.sugarpova.com) or head for It'Sugar at the Pier at Caesars in Atlantic City or Amy's Hallmark Shop at 320 Center Blvd., Newark, Del.

Pennsylvania's only listed outlets are two Hallmark stores in the western half of the state, while New Jersey's five other locations are at the northern end of the Shore (three in Monmouth County) or in North Jersey.

The candies were introduced before the U.S. Open last summer, but the recipes have since been revised, with names and packaging updated. The so-called hard rollout was celebrated over the weekend as Sharapova, the world's second-ranked female tennis player, promoted them in her ritzy home town of Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Sharapova says she "always had a sweet tooth ... so when the name Sugarpova came about and I put the two together, I realized how much fun this could be."

Other athletes have unsuccessfully ventured into the candy business with the likes of Reggie Jackson's Reggie Bar, Shaquille O'Neal's Mr. Big Shaq Snaq, and the Pete Rose Supercharg'r Energy Bar.

The classic Baby Ruth bar was not named for the slugger, but for the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.