Cincinnati WTA Title Goes to Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova, fourth-seeded Russian, survived an erratic performance to win the Cincinnati WTA title, succeeding with 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 over Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.

Sharapova, 24 years old, achieved her second title of the season after a success in Rome.  She enhanced on her runner-up finish to Kim Clijsters here last year and gave herself a momentum increase before the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season that begins on August 29 in New York.

After an aggressive start saw Sharapova get a 4-1 lead, Jankovic went on a roll, breaking the Russian three times in a row and getting the opening set when Sharapova double-faulted.

The shift recalled last year’s final, when Sharapova failed to convert three match points against Clijsters and ended up losing 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

In spite of a brook of voluntary mistakes, counting a total of 11 double errors, Sharapova finally got the second set, winning the last five points of the tiebreaker.

The third set begun with six straight breaks of serve before Sharapova held for a 4-3 lead.

Jankovic double-faulted twice to give up the following game, leaving Sharapova to serve out the competition after two hours and 49 minutes.

Jankovic, who has fought back, wrist and ankle injuries, was playing in just her second final of the season, after her runner-up finish in Monterrey.

This week came out to give her a golden chance, thanks to wealth of injury absences, with her game in shape.

Clijesters pulled out with the abdominal strain that will keep her from attempting for a third straight US Open title.

Venus Williams has sidelined by a virus, Serena Williams pulled out early with a toe injury and a hand injury urged third-seeded Victoria Azarenka.

Jankovic achieved the semi-finals on a walkover when   Peng Shuai of China withdrew with a hip injury.

Mardy Fish Wins in the Atlanta Tennis Championships

Mardy Fish provided himself small credit for saving two second-set match points versus John Isner.

Fish said, “When you’re in that position, it’s almost over.  I was lucky to get out of it. I played some good points. I don’t think he missed any first serves there. I stuck some returns and put some balls in play.”

Fish hit Isner in the final for the second straight year at the Atlanta Tennis Championships, receiving a 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 success Sunday in Norcross, Ga.

The world’s No. 9 player recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the tiebreak.

Fish said, “I didn’t necessarily change anything tactically.  I took care of my serve games a little bit better once I lost serve in the first game of the second.”

Isner was attempting to win successive affairs for the first time in his profession the same of what Fish did in 2010 at Newport and Atlanta.

However, the 6-foot-9 final service game of Isner consisted of two dual-faults.  He committed 29 unforced errors to Fish’s 11 through two sets.

Clijsters Gets Upset at Dutch Woman

There were several reasons available for Kim Clijsters after a shocking collapse in the second round of the French Open against a woman ranked 114^th.

The second-seeded Clijsters could have pointed to her deeply taped accurate ankle, which she harmed while dancing barefoot at the wedding of her cousin previous month in considering her 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 loss to Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.

In relating how she controlled to squander two match points and drop 11 of the previous 12 games after leading 5-2 in the second set, the Belgian can have stated that she last entered the French Open in 2006 and had played a quantity of five clay-court matches wherever ever since.

Furthermore in making clear of her 65 unprompted mistakes – 43 over her challenger made – and 10 double-faults, Clijsters can have be reminiscent each one that she had not fought at all since late March because of that bum ankle and prior injuries to her right shoulder and wrist.

In its place, the winner of the previous Grand Slam titles, and four in general, pointed a finger directly at herself and a strange crisis of self-assurance.

Clijsters, the French Open runner-up in 2001 and 2003 said, “I started doubting a little bit.  When you start doubting yourself on any surface — but for me, definitely on clay — it’s the wrong attitude to have.”

Clijsters as well gave credit to Rus, who entered the day with a 3-4 career record in major tournaments and just twice before had been to Court Philippe Chatrier and those visits were as a viewer.

Rus recognized she was worried at the onset, may be Clijsters is one of her desired players after giving one of the most shocking tennis results in current years.

Clijster said, “She obviously started building up more confidence, started playing a lot better, and was really kind of putting me on my back foot all the time.  I couldn’t really play my aggressive tennis anymore in that third set.”

A related situation played out afterward in that stadium, excluding it was the important desired, three-time major champion Maria Sharapova, who came out to be down and out against an inexpert kid, Caroline Garcia, 17 years old French wild-card entry , before rolling off the final 11 games to win 3-6 6-4, 6-0.

She alleged she had problem dealing with wind that squalled at upward of 20 mph, which drew this remark from Rafael Nadal, “If you play good, seems like much less wind. If you are playing bad, seems like a hurricane.”

photo credit: silive.com

Nadal said, “I am not playing that well.  I am not happy, but I am here.”

photo credit: silive.com