China Open: Sharapova eases into Beijing final
Russian beats home favourite Li; to face Azarenka today.
BEIJING:
World number two Maria Sharapova overcame home favourite Li Na in straight sets yesterday to make the final of the China Open, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga triumphed in the last four of the men's draw.
The 25-year-old Russian defeated Li, Asia's only Grand Slam winner, 6-4, 6-0, but it took the French Open champion a while to break into her stride. Li raced to an early 3-1 lead due to some poor serving by Sharapova, but the Russian fought back, winning three games in a row before taking the set with a break.
"It was a really high-quality first set,” said Sharapova. “There were a few ups and downs and obviously she had the lead. I came back and then I broke her in that last game of the first set. It was important for me to take that momentum going into the second."
She will play world number one Victoria Azarenka in the final after the Belarusian beat ninth-seed Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2.
Lopez retires, Tsonga in men’s final
In the men's draw, third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France marched into the final when Spain's Feliciano Lopez retired during the second set.
The world number seven thrashed Lopez 6-1 in the first set and was 4-1 up in the second when the left-handed Spaniard called it a day, citing an injury to his left wrist.
"I played really well and I felt really good on the court," said Tsonga.
Murray crashes out of Japan Open
Meanwhile, London Olympic gold medallist and US Open champion Andy Murray was sent crashing out of the Japan Open in a shock semi-final defeat by Milos Raonic of Canada.
In the final set the Briton squandered a 4-1 lead and missed two match points in the 12th game before going down 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7) to the 21-year-old Canadian.
"I played better in the second and third sets,” said Murray. “But I was obviously disappointed not to close the match up.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.
World number two Maria Sharapova overcame home favourite Li Na in straight sets yesterday to make the final of the China Open, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga triumphed in the last four of the men's draw.
The 25-year-old Russian defeated Li, Asia's only Grand Slam winner, 6-4, 6-0, but it took the French Open champion a while to break into her stride. Li raced to an early 3-1 lead due to some poor serving by Sharapova, but the Russian fought back, winning three games in a row before taking the set with a break.
"It was a really high-quality first set,” said Sharapova. “There were a few ups and downs and obviously she had the lead. I came back and then I broke her in that last game of the first set. It was important for me to take that momentum going into the second."
She will play world number one Victoria Azarenka in the final after the Belarusian beat ninth-seed Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2.
Lopez retires, Tsonga in men’s final
In the men's draw, third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France marched into the final when Spain's Feliciano Lopez retired during the second set.
The world number seven thrashed Lopez 6-1 in the first set and was 4-1 up in the second when the left-handed Spaniard called it a day, citing an injury to his left wrist.
"I played really well and I felt really good on the court," said Tsonga.
Murray crashes out of Japan Open
Meanwhile, London Olympic gold medallist and US Open champion Andy Murray was sent crashing out of the Japan Open in a shock semi-final defeat by Milos Raonic of Canada.
In the final set the Briton squandered a 4-1 lead and missed two match points in the 12th game before going down 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7) to the 21-year-old Canadian.
"I played better in the second and third sets,” said Murray. “But I was obviously disappointed not to close the match up.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.