By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Maria Sharapova defeated top-seeded Simona Halep, 6-4, 6-4, in Singapore, raising her record to 6-0 against the second-ranked Romanian.
Photo credit: Getty Images/Clive Brunskill
Dazzling rallies, defiant runs and a dose of late-match nerves were all on display today in Singapore.
Then Maria Sharapova reconnected with her inner closer.
Regaining the sting on her backhand, Sharapova stopped a three-game slide to close an impressive 6-4, 6-4 win over Simona Halep at the WTA Finals.
The 2004 tournament champion denied Halep her 50th win of the season converting five of 11 break point chances in a match of crackling rallies.
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"I guess those are the moments you have to get through when you haven't played in a really long time," said Sharapova, who completed just her second match since her Wimbledon semifinal loss to Serena Williams in July. "Especially against the number two player in the world these matches don't come easy and it definitely showed until the end."
The end seemed imminent earlier.
Driving deep shots that often forced the world No. 2 to defend, Sharapova looked sharp winning five straight games surging to a 6-4, 5-1 lead.
Failing to serve out the match twice in succession, Sharapova found clarity in coach Sven Groeneveld's motivational advice during the last changeover and closed with a barrage of backhands.
Sharapova continued her mastery of Halep—she's 6-0 lifetime against the 24-year-old Romanian—and her march toward a semifinal berth at the year-end event.
The third-seeded Russian leads the Red Group with a 2-0 record and can seal her semifinal spot by winning a set against Flavia Pennetta, her final opponent in round robin play.
Earlier, the reigning US Open champion edged Agnieszka Radwanska, 7-6 (5), 6-4, to level her round-robin record at 1-1.
This rematch of the 2014 French Open final marked the pair's first meeting of 2015 and popped with crackling running rallies from the start.
The top-seeded Halep sprayed an inside-out forehand to drop serve in the second game. But the Romanian responded with a sharp-angled forehand return to break back. Halep won eight of 10 points leveling at 2-all.
Though the 5-foot-6 Halep is quicker around the court and changes direction with more agility, Sharapova played some beautiful running drives winning several of the longer exchanges.
Creating angles with her running counter-strikes helped Halep stay in step with Sharapova through eight games. The Romanian's nerves—and Sharapova's willingness to wage and win longer rallies—decided the set.
A pulsating corner to corner exchange ended with Sharapova pulling the string beautifully on a backhand drop shot winner. That shot helped her dig out of a 15-30 hole and hold for 5-4.
Coach Darren Cahill came out to try to relax Halep before she served to level. She tightened up with a pair of double faults followed by a Sharapova forehand winner for double set point. Halep saved both, but Sharapova dug in to win a tremendous running rally for a third set point. Hammering a forehand winner, Sharapova closed with a clenched fist after 54 minutes.
Though she saved a pair of break points, Halep wasted that good work missing an inside-out forehand to drop her opening service game of the second set.
Defiance is one of Sharapova's best weapons. From 0-30 down, she worked through a gritty hold belting two straight backhands down the line for a 3-0 lead—her fifth consecutive game.
Coach Cahill returned trying to help stall the free fall. Halep listened then conceded: "I do everything she likes."
Indeed, it must have been a disconcerting feeling for Halep, who tried to stretch Sharapova wide only to see her 6-foot-2 opponent answer with flatter, faster drives. Sharapova swatted a fierce forehand swing volley extending the lead to 5-1.
For the second straight match, Sharapova stumbled trying to close.
A double fault and netted backhand gifted the break and Halep backed it up with a love hold for 3-5. Squandering her second shot to serve it out, Sharapova called for her coach who urged her to impose her depth and determination on her opponent.
"You cannot expect her to just give points," Groeneveld told his charge. "You cannot just go left to right. Stay disciplined, there's no free points coming up. Make her work, right now, for every single point."
Dictating backhand exchanges, Sharapova earned double match point. She crunched a diagonal backhand winner raised her arms and screamed scoring her fifth break to close in one hour, 54 minutes.