Sharapova stays on course for title
Source: Agencies |
August 2, 2010, Monday
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MARIA Sharapova overcame a fast-starting Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the final of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, on Saturday.
Bidding for her first WTA Premier title of the year, Sharapova needed five match points to subdue third seed Radwanska, who engaged the hard-hitting Russian in one long rally after another.
Sharapova will face Belarussian Victoria Azarenka in the final, who celebrated her 21st birthday in style earlier by overwhelming top seed Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3.
Coming into the tournament, the fifth seeded Sharapova had not beaten a top 25 player all season, but at Stanford has now taken down No. 23 Zheng Jie of China, No. 6 Elena Dementieva of Russia and No. 11 Radwanska.
The three-time grand slam champion was finally able to repel the Pole's challenge when she boomed a service winner.
"This week has been great for me, going against different types of games, finding myself in different situations and coming out with wins," Sharapova told reporters. "But there's another one tomorrow and I have finish it out."
The eighth seed Azarenka registered her fourth victory over the Australian in as many attempts, tearing apart Stosur's second serves and battering her from inside the baseline.
Azarenka broke world No. 5 Stosur five times in the match and was a broken only once herself.
"I was very good on the return, putting pressure on her," said Azarenka, who reached her third final of the year.
"I was very solid from the baseline and I was able to keep holding."
Azarenka has three career titles and this year reached the finals in Dubai and Eastbourne but she has not won in 16 months since crushing Serena Williams in the 2009 Miami final.
In Los Angeles, top seed and British world No. 4 Andy Murray won a curiously topsy-turvy encounter with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the final of the Farmers' Classic.
Bidding for his first ATP title of the year, Murray recovered from a poor second set to wrap up victory in one hour 38 minutes on the showcourt at the LA Tennis Center.
The Scot, playing his first tournament since Wimbledon, will take on holder and second-seeded Sam Querrey in the final, the big-serving American having battled past Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 in front of his hometown crowd.
Bidding for her first WTA Premier title of the year, Sharapova needed five match points to subdue third seed Radwanska, who engaged the hard-hitting Russian in one long rally after another.
Sharapova will face Belarussian Victoria Azarenka in the final, who celebrated her 21st birthday in style earlier by overwhelming top seed Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3.
Coming into the tournament, the fifth seeded Sharapova had not beaten a top 25 player all season, but at Stanford has now taken down No. 23 Zheng Jie of China, No. 6 Elena Dementieva of Russia and No. 11 Radwanska.
The three-time grand slam champion was finally able to repel the Pole's challenge when she boomed a service winner.
"This week has been great for me, going against different types of games, finding myself in different situations and coming out with wins," Sharapova told reporters. "But there's another one tomorrow and I have finish it out."
The eighth seed Azarenka registered her fourth victory over the Australian in as many attempts, tearing apart Stosur's second serves and battering her from inside the baseline.
Azarenka broke world No. 5 Stosur five times in the match and was a broken only once herself.
"I was very good on the return, putting pressure on her," said Azarenka, who reached her third final of the year.
"I was very solid from the baseline and I was able to keep holding."
Azarenka has three career titles and this year reached the finals in Dubai and Eastbourne but she has not won in 16 months since crushing Serena Williams in the 2009 Miami final.
In Los Angeles, top seed and British world No. 4 Andy Murray won a curiously topsy-turvy encounter with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the final of the Farmers' Classic.
Bidding for his first ATP title of the year, Murray recovered from a poor second set to wrap up victory in one hour 38 minutes on the showcourt at the LA Tennis Center.
The Scot, playing his first tournament since Wimbledon, will take on holder and second-seeded Sam Querrey in the final, the big-serving American having battled past Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 in front of his hometown crowd.
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