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By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 18, 2018

Streaks of red clay streaked her calves and freckled her cheeks, but Maria Sharapova remained riveted on the ball as she blasted one final backhand dislodging a piece of dirt in the process.

The 31-year-old Russian may lack match play, but her appetite for a good fight remains undiminished.

Watch: Svitolina Eases Past Kerber In Rome

In a fierce slugfest, two-time former French Open champion Sharapova fought off reigning Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-5, roaring into the Rome semifinals for the sixth time.

"Sometimes, the matches like this toward the end, the adrenaline, the crowd, the tennis, there were lots of ups and downs in this match, but I just hung in there," Sharapova said in her on-court interview afterward. "It's great to be back at this stage again. My fans have been so loyal throughout the years and for me to be able to produce this kind of tennis again in front of them is very special."



The three-time Rome champion will face either world No. 1 Simona Halep, in what would be a rematch of the gripping 2014 French Open final, or seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia in Saturday’s semifinals.

Aiming for her first clay-court crown since she ruled Rome in 2015, Sharapova converted seven of 12 break points powering into her first semifinal since Shenzhen in January.

The fifth seed fought hard, but Sharapova played cleaner tennis at crunch time committing 21 fewer unforced errors than the Latvian, who sprayed 61 errors.

The first encounter between current and former French Open champions lived up to its blockbuster billing featuring explosive strikes, set points saved, menacing returns, skittish serving—the pair combined for 21 double faults—multiple coaching visits, audacious shot-making, and near non-stop drama spread out over a sprawling three hours, 10 minutes.

An erratic epic opening game set the tone. Ostapenko blew a 40-love lead then clawed through a three double fault game that featured 18 points and spanned 10 minutes before holding.

Struggle strengthened the Latvian who broke immediately then battered away at the five-time Grand Slam champion's flat forehand backing up the break for 3-0.

An unsettled Sharapova called for coach Thomas Hogstedt, who urged his charge to fire up, strike with more power and play with more urgency. Hogstedt cautioned Sharapova to beware of Ostapenko's dangerous down the line drives.

Those words were prophetic.

Sharapova saved a set point with a biting body serve, denied a second set point with an angled forehand and slid her second ace out wide fighting through a tough hold for 3-5.

Since denying a break point in the opening game, Ostapenko had won 17 of her last 18 points on serve, but serving out a set raises the severity of pressure and she feltit.

The former No. 1 banged a backhand return winner that resonated prompting a double-fault for triple break point. Shrieking with more volume, Sharapova roared through a love break when Ostapenko framed a forehand.

Pouncing on a second serve, Ostapenko cranked a forehand earning two more set points. Sharapova saved both drawing even at deuce.

Moving up quickly to a forehand sitter, Ostapenko slapped a routine shot into the tape and was left shaking her head at a mind-numbing miss. Sharapova surged through the hold leveling at 5-all an hour into the match.

Haunted by lost opportunity, Ostapenko spit up her fifth double fault gifting the break.

Serving for the set, Sharapova stumbled as she double-faulted to donate the break and send a topsy-turvy set into a tiebreak.




Neither woman gained separation in the tie break. Sharapova slid a serve down the T for set point at 6-5, but Ostapenko saved it slamming a shot into the corner to force the error. On her fifth set point, Ostapenko bolted a backhand down the line capping the 79-minute opener.

Ostapenko doubled Sharapova's winner output (18 to 9) in a fierce first set.

The pair took turns punishing second-serve returns trading breaks to start the second set.




Dancing inside the baseline in a predatory return position, Sharapova spooked Ostapenko in the 10th game.

Reading the wide serve, Sharapova pounded a pristine backhand return crosscourt, converting her second set point to force a decider.

Sharapova turned the set around on the strength of her return, winning 78 percent of points played on Ostapenko's second serve and converting three of four break points in the 49-minute second set.

Commitment to the cause was key for Sharapova in the final set, while Ostapenko's struggles to seal leads cost her.

Squandering a 40-15 lead, Ostapenko was pushed into successive errors by Sharapova's deep drives as the three-time champion broke for 4-2.




Showing guts snapping off deep drives, Sharapova had Ostapenko sliding into a split behind the baseline—a move that seemed to leave the Latvian a little gimpy—as the Russian stretched her lead to 5-2.

"You've won matches from this position before," Ostapenko's coach, David Taylor, advised on the ensuing changeoever. "You've gotta keep swinging. You can't just make the shot and hope she's going to miss. You have to make the point happen."

Serving for the semifinals, a skittish Sharapova dumped her ninth double fault to face break point. Ostapenko, who was stretching her right leg between points, made her pay breaking back for 4-5.

Short-term memory loss and a stubborn will sparked Sharapova throughout the match. From love-40 down she earned match point but sailed a backhand return long.

Running around the backhand, Sharapova smoked a forehand return for a second match point. Shrieking as she attacked a second serve, Sharapova netted a backhand return.

Suddenly, Ostapenko's leg was solid again as she planted and plastered a backhand winner down the line leveling at 5-all with a shout and clenched fist fending off a pair of match points.

Undeterred, Sharapova zapped a diagonal forehand for a third match point in the 12th game.




Jolting a backhand winner down the line, Sharapova directed a wide smile toward coach Hogstedt after an adventurous and fulfilling victory.

Arriving in the Eternal City fresh off the Madrid quarterfinals, Sharapova has won seven of her last eight matches with her Rome run ensuring she will be seeded for Roland Garros, which starts on May 27th.



World No. 26 Anett Kontaveit continued her roll thrashing Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3, 6-1, in 75 minutes.

The explosive Estonian has knocked off three Grand Slam champions in succession—Svetlana Kuznetsova, Venus Williams and Wozniacki—charging into her second semifinal in her last three tournaments.

The Stuttgart semifinalist will play reigning Rome champion Elina Svitolina for a spot in Sunday's final.

The fourth-seeded Svitolina swept former No. 1 Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 6-4, stretching her Rome winning streak to eight matches.

 

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