Triple grand slam title winner Maria Sharapova won her first tournament in almost a year as she powered past Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-4 to win the Rome Masters.
Sharapova’s last title came at the Strasbourg claycourt event on the eve of the 2010 French Open. But having beaten world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-final, Sharapova proved too much for an erratic Stosur.
“I’m so excited to be able to be the champion of this tournament,” said Sharapova. “It means so much to add this title to the ones I’ve won before.”
It is good news for the Russian just a week ahead of the start of the French Open, the only grand slam she has never won and a tournament where she has never been beyond the quarter-finals.
But on her least favourite surface she had too much power for Stosur, finalist at the French Open last year, who racked up unforced errors throughout the match. “It was a great week for me, however, Sharapova played really well,” said Stosur.
Impressive play by Sharapova
After a rain-delayed start, the Russian appeared to be in a hurry to get off court again and won 14 of the first 15 points to race into a 4-0 lead before clinching an easy first set. The battling Australian had no answer to Sharapova’s range of shots in the second set and Russian clinched her 23rd career title and first in Rome with another devastating forehand winner.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2011.
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