Svetlana Kuznetsova handed Maria Sharapova her first defeat of the year on Friday to set up a clash with top-seeded Ana Ivanovic in the final of the Pacific Life Open.
Kuznetsova, the second seed, defeated fourth-seeded Sharapova 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to return to the final of the US$5.7 million WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament for the second straight year.
Serbia's Ivanovic defeated third-seeded compatriot Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
PHOTO: EPA
Kuznetsova, 22 and ranked No. 3 in the world, is in search of her first WTA title since New Haven last August, but she booked her third final of the year after reaching the championship match in Sydney in Dubai.
After dropping the first set, Sharapova gained an early break in the second en route to a 4-1 lead.
Kuznetsova broke back in the seventh game, but Sharapova broke her again in the final game as Kuznetsova double-faulted on set point.
Kuznetsova bounced back to break Sharapova's serve in the first game of the third set, broke again for 4-1 and served out the match with a love game.
In the third, Kuznetsova said, "I really took it away from her. I think it's my credit I played well in the third set."
Kuznetsova said three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova was below her best, and her vanquished opponent agreed.
"I was playing with a much slower pace than I normally play with. I wasn't going for my shots as I normally do, and I wasn't seeing the ball that good," Sharapova said.
Sharapova, 20, said fatigue was a factor.
"I'm playing a lot of tennis, been flying a lot," she said. "It takes a toll on your body and your mind as well. You feel like you have to go out on the court and spend a lot of emotion and energy out there, and sometimes you just don't have it for every match."
Ivanovic, whose runner-up finish to Sharapova at the Australian Open propelled her to No.2 in the world, posted her fifth victory over Jankovic in six meetings.
Jankovic said she felt strong in the rallies, but didn't serve or return effectively. She couldn't recover from an 0-6 deficit in the first-set tiebreaker, and surrendered her serve in the third game of the second.
Ivanovic broke her again in the ninth game to complete the victory.
On the men's side, world No.1 Roger Federer moved into the semi-finals without firing a shot as his scheduled quarter-final opponent -- unseeded German Tommy Haas -- withdrew with a sinus infection.
In the semis, Federer was due to face unseeded American Mardy Fish, who had to fight his way into the final four.
Fish, ranked 98th in the world, fired 22 aces en route to a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) win over seventh-seeded David Nalbandian.
Fish, who has lost all five of his matches against Federer, joked that he hoped the Swiss superstar would be "a little too rested."
The American sweated through two hours and 45 minutes to get past Nalbandian.
Fish joined the top three players in the world in the final four.
World No.2 and defending champion Rafael Nadal was due to take on No.3 Novak Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open champion, in the other semi-final, a rematch of their final here last year.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS