Sharapova delayed by rain again
Source: Agencies |
June 11, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
MARIA Sharapova endured more frustration at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England, after rain caused the postponement of her first-round match against Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US with the Russian player 4-0 ahead in the first set on Wednesday.
Former No. 1 Sharapova was supposed to play her match against Mattek-Sands on Tuesday but it was washed out and held over until the following day. When Sharapova finally did get going, late in the afternoon of the tournament's third day, she got only 25 minutes of action on center court - much of it in drizzle - before being called off again. She was leading 40-30 in the fifth game.
If she comes through, Sharapova will next play compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva, who beat Vania King of the US 6-1, 6-2.
Tenth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, Kazakhstan's Sesil Karatantcheva, Russia's Anna Chakvetadze and fifth-seeded Sara Errani of Italy have also progressed into the third round.
While covers have failed to prevent rain encroaching into the playing area on center court, the outside courts - in lower, softer and always previously wetter areas - have been playable, enabling lesser-known players to compete twice and reach round three of the Wimbledon warmup event.
"The configuration of the center court has changed over the years - we worked with the covers we had," said tournament director Patrick Hughesman, meaning that the arena had been expanded but the tarpaulin had not.
Former No. 1 Sharapova was supposed to play her match against Mattek-Sands on Tuesday but it was washed out and held over until the following day. When Sharapova finally did get going, late in the afternoon of the tournament's third day, she got only 25 minutes of action on center court - much of it in drizzle - before being called off again. She was leading 40-30 in the fifth game.
If she comes through, Sharapova will next play compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva, who beat Vania King of the US 6-1, 6-2.
Tenth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, Kazakhstan's Sesil Karatantcheva, Russia's Anna Chakvetadze and fifth-seeded Sara Errani of Italy have also progressed into the third round.
While covers have failed to prevent rain encroaching into the playing area on center court, the outside courts - in lower, softer and always previously wetter areas - have been playable, enabling lesser-known players to compete twice and reach round three of the Wimbledon warmup event.
"The configuration of the center court has changed over the years - we worked with the covers we had," said tournament director Patrick Hughesman, meaning that the arena had been expanded but the tarpaulin had not.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
