Sharapova ends Pennetta鈥檚 career
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Flavia Pennetta鈥檚 brilliant late-career flourish was brought crashing to a halt by Maria Sharapova last night as defeat by the Russian sent her out of the WTA Finals and into retirement.
The reigning US Open champion only needed to win a set against Sharapova to reach the semifinals but after going a break up in the first set, she stuttered before losing 5-7, 1-6 in Singapore.
The colorful Pennetta, 33, announced her retirement last month, just moments after becoming the oldest first-time grand slam winner at the US Open in New York.
While tennis bids arrivederci to the Italian 鈥 apart from a possible appearance at next year鈥檚 Olympics in Rio 鈥 Sharapova marched into the semifinals alongside Agnieszka Radwanska.
The resurgent Russian, who has roared back to form after months out with injury, paid tribute to Pennetta as the Italian walked without fanfare from the Singapore Indoor Stadium court.
鈥淚鈥檝e lost the last couple of times against Flavia,鈥 Sharapova said. 鈥淚 know what a tough opponent and competitor she is and I just tried to get a little bit of my revenge before she鈥檚 out of the game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad to see such a great champion go. I鈥檓 so glad she got the grand slam.鈥
Pennetta was in good company, as top seed Simona Halep鈥檚 season also came to an end when she lost 6-7 (5), 1-6 to an inspired Radwanska, who finished runner-up to Sharapova in the Red Group.
The Pole survived a 鈥渃razy鈥 first set, when she went a break down and recovered from 1-5 down in the tie-break, finally taking the set after a mesmerizing rally.
And the second set was a lopsided affair as Radwanska played with renewed confidence and world No. 2 Halep鈥檚 energy and motivation fell off a cliff.
鈥淚 was done. No energy any more. I was tired. I felt that I lost the chance to win the first set and probably I lost the chance to win the match in that moment,鈥 the Romanian said afterwards.
The result was enough to guarantee Sharapova鈥檚 last-four spot but she was not about to give Pennetta an easy ride and mixed up her power game with an array of drop shots that left the Italian scrambling.
Pennetta broke Sharapova in the first game but the Russian took it back to level the match at 4-4 and stayed ahead till wrapping up the set at 7-5 with a drive-volley.
Pennetta鈥檚 head dropped and she was only to win one game in the second set, before a backhand to the net on the first match point ended her campaign and career on tour.
Sharapova, who had not completed a match since July when she arrived in Singapore, has now swept all three of her round-robin assignments after earlier beating Radwanska and Halep.
Pennetta was the only player at the top-eight season finale with a head-to-head advantage over Sharapova, winning the last three of their five meetings.
Radwanska, Halep and Pennetta all ended round-robin play with 1-2 records but the Pole advanced after she won three sets in her matches while the others could only manage two.
Spain鈥檚 Garbine Muguruza is atop the White Group, which also includes Germany鈥檚 Angelique Kerber and Czech players Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova. Final standings in the group will be determined today.
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