Posted on 06/28/2005 9:34:00 AM PDT by Slicksadick
Sharapova In Commanding Form
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Defending champion Maria Sharapova beat fellow Russian Nadia Petrova 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in one hour and 26 minutes to gain a semi-final place at Wimbledon today.
Sharapova was given a demanding first set but then the resistance from the 23-year-old Petrova faded. Sharapova was never in serious danger of losing command. The only time she was breakpoint down was in the final game as she moved to the semi-finals for a second time in three appearances in The Championships.
Second-seeded Sharapova has not dropped a set in five matches and was in little danger of doing so against Petrova in the blustery conditions on No.1 Court. Petrova has had her best Wimbledon in six attempts, moving one round further than ever before. The first set was a perfect stage for her to try to unseat the champion as she served four aces as part of her attack. Serving first, she was always in a position to put pressure on Sharapova's serve.
Petrova was only break point down once, in the ninth game, when she double faulted after Sharapova had reached deuce with a service return that hit the net cord and trickled over. But a service winner saved that situation.
In the tie-break, Petrova was unable to force the pace, with Sharapova hitting to a good length and jumping into a 6-4 lead with two set points. Petrova saved both of those, only for Sharapova to produce two forehand winners for a one-set lead after 55 minutes.
A confident Sharapova broke Petrova's serve in the second game of the second set and had lost just three points by the time she had extended her lead to 3-0. Petrova then held three service games running to stay loosely in contention but was given the chance of breaking back when Sharapova served for the match.
A double fault, the only one in the second set, put Sharapova break point down. She saved that somewhat fortuitously with a backhand that hit the net cord and fell into Petrova's court. Then Sharapova moved to match point with a forehand error from her opponent off another net cord shot and Petrova made an error in the next rally.
Written by Barry Newcombe
You'd think we didn't even have RULES around here...
Little slow on the pics, bud!
Move over Anna, this babe CAN play!
Pics Please!!!
OK, I'm sold.
Wasn't there some Anna chick from Russia who used to play tennis, too? ;)
BTW..I don't think I've see a Kournakova pic posted here in a LOOOOOOOONG TIME..
Miss Sharapova was born April 19th, 1987. How many of you ogling droolers out there have daughters that age? Nice.
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