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By Chris Oddo | Tuesday October 3, 2017

Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep will renew their lopsided rivalry at the China Open as both players advanced on Tuesday at the China open. Sharapova improved to 8-0 over Ekaterina Makarova with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 win over her compatriot, while Halep advanced when Magdalena Rybarikova had to retire down 6-1, 2-1 to the Romanian.

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Wild card Sharapova has now won consecutive three-setters at Beijing, making it victories in five of six three-setters since the Russian returned to the hardcourts this summer.


In a match that featured 12 breaks of serve it was Sharapova who took charge to claim the deciding set to improve her lifetime record in deciders to 157-53. She did not face a break point in the third and converted two of three break opportunities to leave Makarova in the dust.

Sharapova broke for 2-0 in the third and then saved two game points and broke again for 5-1, effectively sealing the victory.

The Russian improves to 11-4 on the season.

Halep improved to 41-13 on the year when Rybarikova retired due to illness trailing by a set and break.

The World No. 2 is 0-7 lifetime against Sharapova, but eager to take another shot at the woman who has kept her at bay ever since their first meeting at Indian Wells in 2012. But there is hope for Halep. Four of the pair’s last five meetings have gone to three sets, and Halep his looking forward to another shot at breaking the duck against the five-time major champion.

Halep dropped a hard-fought decision to Sharapova in the first-round at this year’s U.S. Open. Halep faced 22 break points in the match and only won 38 percent of her second-serve points. She’ll have to be better in those category to have a shot against the powerful returning of Sharapova. a


Kvitova, Pliskova Advance on Busy Day at Beijing

No.4-seeded Karolina Pliskova (d. Petkovic) and No.12-seeded Petra Kvitova (d. Lepchenko) each advanced in straight sets on Tuesday. Kvitova sets a third-round clash with No.5-seeded Caroline Wozniacki while Pliskova will face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in round three.

Elsewhere on Tuesday in Beijing, No.14-seeded CoCo Vandeweghe was knocked out of Singapore contention when she retired down a set and break to Daria Gavrilova. Daria Kasatkina, Elena Vesnina and Barbora Strycova were also winners.

 

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