Sharapova has slowly begun to hit form in recent weeks on her return to clay conditions after a difficult start to the year. PHOTO: REUTERS
Maria Sharapova secured her place in the final of the Madrid Open for the second consecutive year with a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win over Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday.
The four-time grand slam champion will face Romanian Simona Halep in Sunday’s final as she ground out a hard-fought 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2 victory over fifth seed Petra Kvitova.
Sharapova stormed through the opening set for the loss of just 11 points.
The Russian was dominant again at the start of the second as she raced into a 3-0 lead, but Radwanska battled back to take four straight games and lead 4-3 with a break.
Unfortunately for the third seed, she gifted the break straight back and Sharapova also took the next two games to round off victory in little over an hour.
“I’m looking forward to that matchup [with Halep],” said Sharapova. “She’s had such a great year and obviously she is the player to beat in the final.
“No matter who I’m facing the toughest match is always the last one. You’ve just got to give everything you have out there.
“It’s great to be back in the final and give myself another opportunity.”
Earlier, Halep booked her place in her first ever final of a mandatory event after outlasting Kvitova after over two-and-a-half hours on court.
“I’m very excited that I can play in my biggest final tomorrow [Sunday],” said Halep. “I hope that I can control my emotions and just play.”
However, the 22-year-old is aware of the size of the task that awaits her in Sharapova, having lost in their only two meetings to date.
“I expect a very tough match tomorrow [Sunday]. Sharapova is a champion and she knows how to manage the finals.”
Meanwhile, world number one Rafael Nadal remained on course to retain his Madrid Masters title on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-3 semi-final victory over fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion has now won 12 sets in a row in the Spanish capital as he looks for his first title of the European clay court season after suffering shock defeats in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open in recent weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2014.
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