By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 25, 2015
Maria Sharapova edged Agnieszka Radwanska, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, at the WTA Finals to earn her first win since the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Photo credit: AP Photo
Injury-induced inactivity hasn't diminished Maria Sharapova's multi-tasking skills.
Playing just her second match since Wimbledon, Sharapova shook off the rust, gnawing nerves, and a stubborn Agnieszka Radwanska, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, winning her opening round-robin match of the WTA Finals in Singapore.
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This two hour, 46-minute match wasn't quite as grueling as the three hour, 10-minute victory Sharapova scored over Radwanska in the 2014 WTA Finals. But Sharapova's power and aggression versus Radwanska's feel and counter-strike brilliance provided entertaining points.
"This is my first completed match since July, so it's a pretty big deal for me," Sharapova said. "Coming into this event I tried to do everything I could to be ready. I didn't play my best tennis today; sometimes that's not what matters. I'm so happy I got through."
Top-seeded Simona Halep opened Red Group play dismissing Flavia Pennetta, 6-0, 6-3, to avenge her US Open semifinal loss.
Signs of rust were evident in Sharapova's serve, shot selection and inability to close cleanly. She clanked 12 double faults, struggled at times to answer her opponent's flat off-pace shots and failed to serve out the match on her first chance at 5-2.
Ultimately, the third-seeded Sharapova relied on her flat strikes, forward movement (she won 22 of 29 net trips) and a couple of timely finesse shots to earn her first since win she defeated CoCo Vandeweghe in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July.
Leaping for a high backhand volley, Radwanska showed her racquet skills earning double break point in the seventh game. Sharapova responded with an ace and flurry of forehands to dig out of trouble and hold for 4-3. Playing wide angles to stretch the Russian, Radwanska snatched the first break of the set for 5-4.
Anticipation and accuracy are Aga trademarks. She applied both assets, reading her opponent's drive in the corner and answering with a tremendous running backhand down the line. A forehand approach earned her double set point and when Sharapova sailed a backhand, Radwanska had the 55-minute opener in hand.
Sharapova more than tripled her opponent's winner output (24 to 7), but Radwanska countered with almost immaculate tennis, committing just three unforced errors compared to 22 errors for the world No. 3.
Coach Sven Groeneveld came out and urged Sharapova to take her cracks at the Radwanska second serve, drive returns deep down the middle giving herself a larger target and denying Radwanska angles to counter and hit her own serve with more shape on the ad side.
Stepping in a bit more, Sharapova broke for the first time when her opponent netted a drop shot. Backing up the break with one of her quickest holds of the match, Sharapova stretched the second-set lead to 3-0.
The 2004 champion had break points chances for a 5-1 lead, but could not convert. That lapse cost Sharapova, who quickly fell into triple break point in the next game. Playing soft-pace shots, Radwanska stretched the court and teased Sharapova with a short slice, drawing the error to break back for 3-4.
Coach Sven returned this time offering motivational exhortation rather than tactical exposition to pump up his player.
"There's only determination. What does it mean to you right now?" Groeneveld told a silent Sharapova. "You cannot go away. You're totally in full control of everything and you let it slip away. Step it up. Save your energy for playing—not frustration— (I) don't want to see it."
A recharged Sharapova smacked a forehand down the line to break for 5-3. She fired another forehand winner to force the third set. Sharapova won seven of eight trips to net in the 50-minute second set.
Continuing to test the six-foot-two Russian's legs by playing low shots and mixing in wide angles, Radwanska turned up the pressure at the start of the final set.
A grinding, physical point ended with Radwanska snapping off a smash for a third break point, but Sharapova saved it. She withstood a seven-deuce game that spanned nearly 13 minutes, 41 seconds completing a critical hold when Radwanska netted a forehand.
Empowered by that stand, Sharapova danced to her left and crushed a forehand return winner down the line breaking with an emphatic strike for 2-1. Another taxing deuce game saw Sharapova overcome a couple of double faults with a pair of aces. She lashed a forehand winner holding for 4-2.
Pounding away at Radwanska's serve, Sharapova cracked another biting return to break for 5-2. By that point, she'd won eight of 10 points played on the Pole's second delivery. But Radwanska responded winning eight of the next 10 points, closing to 4-5.
Serving for the match again, Sharapova sprayed a forehand then tapped her leg with her racquet facing double break point.
Swooping forward, Radwanska had a forehand swing volley lined up in prime position to level the match. Instead, Radwanska inexplicably played her volley right back at Sharapova who hit a lob winner to fend off break point. Deploying the drop shot, Sharapova earned match point. On this day, nothing was easy. She spit up a 12th double fault to drop to deuce.
A forehand winner down the line followed by a netted Radwanska forehand ended it as Sharapova raised her record versus Radwanska to 13-2. All three of their WTA Finals encounters have gone the distance and all three times Sharapova found the solutions for one of the game's craftiest players.