Maria Advancing Sets Up Great Semifinal

Maria Sharapova has had the New York crowds on her side as she advances to her first semifinal at the U.S. Open since winning the crown in 2006.

By Joe McDonald

(September 5, 2012) -- Just call Maria Sharapova the rainmaker.

Yes, she did it again, having the raining help her to another round of the US Open, this time beating Marion Bartoli, 3-6 6-3 6-4 to reach the Semifinals for the first time since winning the Open in 2006.

And the rain helped again, as Sharapova continued a match where she was down 0-4 in the first set when the heaven’s opened up.

“I tried not to think about it too much,” she said. “Yeah, it was good to have that period of time just to get a good night's sleep and come back. It's not always a good feeling to come into a match to knowing that you're down 0-4. It's like you're going to try to win that set, but if you don't you're down 0 1.

“It was a tough position to be in, but I'm just so thrilled to be in the semis here.”

Tough position, but she pulled through. Bartoli was having her way in the first set, even after the match continued, but found her serve in the second, making for the three set thriller.

She was able to go up a break and being the match home in relative ease, beating a bundle of energy in Bartoli in her own deliberate style.

“She was going a lot for her second serves,” Sharapova said. “I think she probably had like 30 serves that were 99 miles-per-hour second serves. It's like she worked consistently to get 99 miles an hour.

“She's worked a lot on it. That's why it's good.”

And if Serena Williams makes the finals as well -- she’s playing as this is written -- there’s a distinct possibility she will face Sharapova, setting up a star filled finale, making everyone attending -- and those executives at the Columbia Broadcasting System -- very happy.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet, as Sharapova still has to face the No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka on Friday in the Semifinals and before any Finals may happen and Azarenka did beat Sharapova at the Australian Open, 6-3 6-0 to win the first Grand Slam of the year, so obviously this is no slam dunk.

“Yeah, well it's always tough to lose in that final stage of a Grand Slam,” Sharapova said. “You know, last time we played I think I was in Stuttgart where I beat her, but before that she got me a couple of times.

“You know, I played a really good match in Germany against her. Obviously I want to take the things I did well there and but that was on clay; this is a different situation.

“So every match is new. She's been playing great tennis. I'm in the semifinals since '06, I think, so this is a great opportunity for the both of us.”

The crowd will be on Sharapova’s side -- as it was today -- even though she keeps her Russian citizenship in many ways she can be considered a R.I.N.O. – Russian in Name Only – because she has lived here for 18 years.

And Sharapova acknowledges that as well.

“I have lived in the States since I was seven, so this is my base,” she said “This is my home. Not New York but Florida and California. So, you know, I have a lot of fans here, a lot of friends that come out and watch. You know, in a way, it feels like a second home for me.

“I certainly feel that support. This is where I basically after three years of tennis, starting tennis, this is where I developed my game and where I really learned the sport. I have been around for many years, so I feel like the fans have kind of watched me grow here and watched me since the days I was a junior here 'til now. They followed my career.”

Azarenka, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same cache with the New York crowd. Sure she seems fun and is having fun, but Sharapova has that type of star power.

So it should be interesting. If anything, it will set up a great final -- assuming Serena is playing on the other side. The odds are definitely there.

And if anything goes wrong in the semifinal, well Sharapova can always pray for rain.