Davenport Beaten, But Clijsters’ Dream Crushed
By Anonymous (not verified) | Fri, 11/11/2005 - 17:04
Defending champion, Maria Sharapova spoilt Davenports’ report card today by beating her in their round robin match. The two-hour eight minute encounter eventually went the Russians’ way after she was on match point at 5-4 in the second set itself. The 6-3 5-7 6-4 win for the Russian glamour girl meant she goes into the weekend’s semi finals with a 2-0 record.
Sharapova, 18, needed three match points before closing out the match with her 13 th ace of the game. Sharapova served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but she netted a forehand to get broken, and then Davenport won the final two games to force a third set. Sharapova earned the only break of the third in the fifth game with a forehand winner. Davenport saved three break points to hold trailing 4-3. She saved a match point to hold at 5-4 and had a break point when Sharapova double-faulted in the next game. But Davenport committed two straight errors before Sharapova's 13th ace won the match.
Sharapova won only five more points and had three more winners than Davenport, with both women committing 31 unforced errors.
While the loss was disappointing for Davenport, it did not matter in the larger scheme of things. She had already qualified for the semis out of the Green group in the elite eight-woman round robin competition.
"I knew before the match started that I was in," said Davenport. "It was a bizarre feeling walking out. It was hard. There are no ranking points, no extra money, nothing like that. That's a shame. But when I started losing, pride hit me."
With her win Sharapova seems to have settled scores with the American, because the last time they both met, Davenport had dished out a 6-0 6-0 drubbing for the Russian. Sharapove has a 3-1 record against her now. Petrova will face Sharapova in a formality match on Friday, the rest day for Davenport.
Sharapova’s win took her to 2-0 in her Green group and meant that both Switzerland's Patty Schnyder and Russia's Nadia Petrova are out of the competition. Even though Schnyder defeated Petrova 6-0 5-7 6-4 on Thursday, but finished with a 1-2 record, falling to Sharapova and Davenport.
In another contest on Thursday, the French fourth seed was an easy 6-2 6-3 winner over a disappointing Elena Dementieva, who slips out of the event as a result, and Mauresmo now has a 2-0 record after an earlier victory over world number two Kim Clijsters. Pierce also stands 2-0 after defeating Clijsters and Dementieva. This means that both the Frenchwomen Mauresmo and Mary Pierce qualify from the Black group.
Clijsters, who came into the week hoping to seize the number one raking from Davenport, cannot reach the semis, handing the year-end top spot to Davenport. Her two consecutive losses to both the French women dented her chances of reaching Saturday’s semis. Her only hope was if she won her last match against Dementieva and Mauresmo lost, but the Frenchwoman knocked the last nail into the Belgians’ coffin at the tournament after an easy win against Dementieva on Thursday. Do we see Davenport’s smile yet ?
Sharapova, 18, needed three match points before closing out the match with her 13 th ace of the game. Sharapova served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but she netted a forehand to get broken, and then Davenport won the final two games to force a third set. Sharapova earned the only break of the third in the fifth game with a forehand winner. Davenport saved three break points to hold trailing 4-3. She saved a match point to hold at 5-4 and had a break point when Sharapova double-faulted in the next game. But Davenport committed two straight errors before Sharapova's 13th ace won the match.
Sharapova won only five more points and had three more winners than Davenport, with both women committing 31 unforced errors.
While the loss was disappointing for Davenport, it did not matter in the larger scheme of things. She had already qualified for the semis out of the Green group in the elite eight-woman round robin competition.
"I knew before the match started that I was in," said Davenport. "It was a bizarre feeling walking out. It was hard. There are no ranking points, no extra money, nothing like that. That's a shame. But when I started losing, pride hit me."
With her win Sharapova seems to have settled scores with the American, because the last time they both met, Davenport had dished out a 6-0 6-0 drubbing for the Russian. Sharapove has a 3-1 record against her now. Petrova will face Sharapova in a formality match on Friday, the rest day for Davenport.
Sharapova’s win took her to 2-0 in her Green group and meant that both Switzerland's Patty Schnyder and Russia's Nadia Petrova are out of the competition. Even though Schnyder defeated Petrova 6-0 5-7 6-4 on Thursday, but finished with a 1-2 record, falling to Sharapova and Davenport.
In another contest on Thursday, the French fourth seed was an easy 6-2 6-3 winner over a disappointing Elena Dementieva, who slips out of the event as a result, and Mauresmo now has a 2-0 record after an earlier victory over world number two Kim Clijsters. Pierce also stands 2-0 after defeating Clijsters and Dementieva. This means that both the Frenchwomen Mauresmo and Mary Pierce qualify from the Black group.
Clijsters, who came into the week hoping to seize the number one raking from Davenport, cannot reach the semis, handing the year-end top spot to Davenport. Her two consecutive losses to both the French women dented her chances of reaching Saturday’s semis. Her only hope was if she won her last match against Dementieva and Mauresmo lost, but the Frenchwoman knocked the last nail into the Belgians’ coffin at the tournament after an easy win against Dementieva on Thursday. Do we see Davenport’s smile yet ?
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