Sharapova secures Schnyder final
Monday, 6 August 2007
Defending champions Maria Sharapova stopped Anna Chakvetadze's bid for a third WTA title in as many weeks Saturday, reports BBC.
Sharapova secured a 6-3 6-2 semi-final victory in the San Diego Classic, reaching her third final of the season.
Top seed Sharapova will now meet Swiss Patty Schnyder, who knocked out Russian ninth seed Elena Dementieva 7-6 6-0.
Showing no sign of the shoulder injury that has nagged her, Sharapova fired five aces and won 75% of the points on her first serve.
Chakvetadze struggled, coughing up six double faults without an ace, and has yet to beat her compatriot after five matches.
She appeared to be cramping late in the second after playing competitive tennis for three consecutive weeks and playing for more than two and a half hours in beating Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in a three-set quarter-final on Friday.
"I felt tired and couldn't run," Chakvetadze said. "I wasn't able to fight as before because I didn't have much time to recover. But Maria played really well and hit a lot of winners."
Sharapova said: "The quality of the first set was better than the second where I didn't have to give as much, but it can get tricky and I'm glad to get it done."
Meanwhile, Schnyder (28) enters her final against Sharapova with a 1-5 record against the Russian, including a tough three-set loss at the French Open.
She has only reached one semi-final this season prior to this tournmanent but she believes she has a chance.
"I can hardly play any better than I have the last two days," Schnyder said. "Unlike some other players, at least I feel like I have a shot against Maria", she added.
Sharapova secured a 6-3 6-2 semi-final victory in the San Diego Classic, reaching her third final of the season.
Top seed Sharapova will now meet Swiss Patty Schnyder, who knocked out Russian ninth seed Elena Dementieva 7-6 6-0.
Showing no sign of the shoulder injury that has nagged her, Sharapova fired five aces and won 75% of the points on her first serve.
Chakvetadze struggled, coughing up six double faults without an ace, and has yet to beat her compatriot after five matches.
She appeared to be cramping late in the second after playing competitive tennis for three consecutive weeks and playing for more than two and a half hours in beating Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in a three-set quarter-final on Friday.
"I felt tired and couldn't run," Chakvetadze said. "I wasn't able to fight as before because I didn't have much time to recover. But Maria played really well and hit a lot of winners."
Sharapova said: "The quality of the first set was better than the second where I didn't have to give as much, but it can get tricky and I'm glad to get it done."
Meanwhile, Schnyder (28) enters her final against Sharapova with a 1-5 record against the Russian, including a tough three-set loss at the French Open.
She has only reached one semi-final this season prior to this tournmanent but she believes she has a chance.
"I can hardly play any better than I have the last two days," Schnyder said. "Unlike some other players, at least I feel like I have a shot against Maria", she added.