Tennis: Maria Sharapova [Thread 5]

[aLuIdPy]

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Singles - Quarterfinals
(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (8) Li Na (CHN) 63 60






Yehey! Caro or Serena makakalaban sa semi..

[aLuIdPy]

So Caro vs Masha sa Semi-finals. Go! #SonyEricssonOpen

[keyser_soze]

^^i'd love to watch this match!

[aLuIdPy]

Wow! Finals na naman! Sana this time manalo na. Go for the first title!

[keyser_soze]

Masha just bundled out Marion in straight sets

it now looks like twas just a fluke win over Vika

i would've loved to see Vika vs Masha go at it again, in a screamfest

[LOLOLOLOL]

Maria Sharapova and Sasha Vujacic Are Getting Married November 10th in Istanbul, Turkey

Maria Sharapova and her fiance, Sasha Vujacic, have set a wedding date, according to the Turkish media: November 10th, in Istanbul. Vujacic, the former LA Laker and New Jersey Net, is now playing professional ball in Turkey. The tennis star and the basketball player got engaged 18 months ago.

Since the engagement, Sharapova has had her best run in years – semifinals of the French Open and Finals at Wimbledon in 2011, and she started 2012 by reaching the Finals of the Australian Open Finals.

Sharapova last won a major in Jan. 2008; she was a regular in the semifinals of seemingly every major from 2005-2007.

Maria Sharapova and Sasha Vujacic will wed in Turkey, despite being ‘saddened’ by all the stray dogs

Scientists can confirm that we are now closer than ever to a Maria Sharapova-Sasha Vujacic Super Baby, after the couple on Thursday officially set a wedding date. Following a whirlwind 18-month engagement, the tennis diva and former NBA (and current Anadolu Efes Basketball Club) star have set Nov. 10 in Istanbul, Turkey, for the nuptials. That’s where Vujacic is currently employed.

But I have a feeling that, given a choice, Sharapova would have picked a different wedding locale. From the National Turk:

Former LA Lakers player Sasha Vujacic plays since 2011 for Turkish giants Anadolu Efes, the couple stayed in Istanbul as Maria Sharapova visited Turkey and Istanbul last October for TEB Paribas WTA Championships. Sharapova said then she loved Istanbul but also added that the number of stray dogs in Istanbul saddened and upsetted her.

And she’s not kidding. There are reportedly 100,000 stray dogs roaming the streets if Istanbul, a problem that goes back centuries, to the Ottoman Empire.

Mark Twain, in his notes on İstanbul, wrote in 1861 that he had never seen such “doleful-eyed and broken-hearted stray dogs” anywhere else in his life.

One reason the problem is so bad is that the city has resisted killing the dogs, relying instead on a spay and neuter campaign. But many suffer and die due to starvation, or residents poisoning them. the city is still working on ways to solve the problem.

Sharapova has a dog herself, and is a noted penguin enthusiast. But aren’t we all?

wow, the lucky ******* is getting hitched!

[aLuIdPy]

Oh No.....

Goodbye tennis na ba?

[shapescolors]

Kung san si Masha masaya suportahan ko sya =)

[aLuIdPy]

new look.

[x3_boxers20_x3]

^wheeeew!

[rational]

new look.

http://i39.tinypic.com/2ck9rk.jpg

Don't like.

[bolickylicky]

thought she really cut her hair...wig lang pala yun

[aLuIdPy]

Sharapova Conquers Azarenka & Stuttgart


STUTTGART, Germany - Her huge serve and groundstrokes hitting their mark time and time again, Maria Sharapova was in vintage form in the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, finally breaking her finals jinx against World No.1 Victoria Azarenka and capturing her 25th WTA title with a 61 64 victory.

From an absolutely packed field that included all of the Top 8 players in the world it was Azarenka and Sharapova who were the last two standing, although it wasn't easy by any means - in the quarterfinals Azarenka had to rally from a break down in the third set to beat Mona Barthel, and Sharapova actually had to save a match point and battle over three hours to get past Sam Stosur.

In a semifinal line-up that featured the Top 4, Azarenka beat Agnieszka Radwanska while Sharapova beat Petra Kvitova. Not since Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Elena Dementieva made the semis of Wimbledon in 2009 had an all-Top 4 final four happened at any WTA event.

History said Azarenka was the favorite in the final - though her lead in their overall head-to-head was only 5-3, she was 4-0 in finals, winning them all in straight sets - including routine victories in their only head-to-head matches this year, 63 60 in the Australian Open final and 62 63 in the Indian Wells final.

But Sharapova was much sharper this time. She showed some laser-like precision on her groundstrokes, complementing powerful crosscourt blasts with pinpoint down-the-lines off both sides - and she was dominating on her serve, losing just 17 points in her nine service games in the match, not getting broken at all, in fact giving Azarenka just one break point to look at (and saving it).

To define Sharapova's sharpness, she hit 31 winners to just 13 unforced errors.

"This was such a tough tournament with such difficult opponents, so I'm just happy to be the champion," Sharapova said in the trophy presentation. "I came to Europe this year a bit earlier than I usually do. I added this to my schedule and was going to use it as a warm-up tournament for the clay court season. But maybe I should start doing it every year since it's obviously working for me."

With the aforementioned match point saved against Stosur, Sharapova is the second player this year to win a WTA title having been match point down (Angelique Kerber did it in Copenhagen) and the first player in 10 months to do it at a Premier event (Marion Bartoli did it at Eastbourne last June).

Sharapova also scored her sixth win over a World No.1, her first five coming against Lindsay Davenport (at Tokyo [Pan Pacific] and WTA Championships in 2005), Justine Henin (at the Australian Open in 2008), Amélie Mauresmo (at the US Open in 2006) and Caroline Wozniacki (at Rome last year).

"I had lost the last few previous encounters with Victoria, so I was extremely motivated today," Sharapova added. "When I got the chance to go out and play her again I knew I had to change a few things. Before I was maybe a little bit impatient and went for a bit too much sometimes, but this time I was really patient. I was aggressive but consistent when I had to be against her.

"I felt I played quite smart in the important moments in the match."

Azarenka was looking for her first Premier-level clay court title, her only previous WTA title on this surface coming at the International-level event in Marbella last year. She still leaves with a sparkling 29-2 win-loss record on the year.

The Belarusian was treated for a right wrist injury during the match.

"It's obviously not how I wanted it to turn out in the final today, but I'm not going to sit here and look for excuses - that's not my style," she said. "I lost today and that's it, I'm moving on. The world doesn't end. There's going to be another big tournament in one week and I just have to look forward. There's no looking back, even for a little bit. In the end, it was still a good week for me.

"And Maria served really well and her game was really on. All credit to her."



Source: WTA website

[aLuIdPy]

Sharapova Hangs On, Conquers Li & Rome
May 20, 2012

ROME, Italy - With some incredible fight to back up her incredible power game, Maria Sharapova came back from the brink of defeat to beat Li Na in the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, saving match point and even weathering a two hour rain delay before the third set tie-break to conquer the Eternal City.

The No.8-seeded Li hadn't won a WTA title since becoming Asia's first Grand Slam champion at the French Open almost a year ago, and that hunger was evident as she built a 64 40 lead. Never one to back down, Sharapova dug deep and won eight games in a row from there, taking the second set and going ahead 2-0 in the third. She eventually built a 4-1, two-break lead in the third.

Li regrouped from the mid-match collapse and won four games in a row, getting both breaks back to get the match back on serve. She even got to match point with Sharapova serving 5-6, ad-out - but she didn't convert and Sharapova held, and just minutes later the skies opened, suspending play for over two hours.

"I don't mind rain - actually I like it," Sharapova said. "One time it helped me a lot, when I won Wimbledon. In the semifinals it started raining when I was down and out against Lindsay Davenport. I was pretty much booking my ticket back home. But when we came back I managed to turn it around.

"Today the court was wet and slippery when we came back, but the umpire told us it was our decision, and both of us wanted to keep going."

Upon resumption it was Sharapova who came out faster, winning the first three points of the tie-break - and although Li got back on track, catching up to 4-4 and 5-5, one last burst gave the No.2-seeded Sharapova a 46 64 76(5) win.

"Obviously it's tough to rest for two hours and then play again, but I still have many positive things from this match," Li said. "Playing a tough match like that showed me I'm strong, and physically I felt great. I can take a lot of positive things away from this week and I think I'm ready for the French Open.

"We both had our chances today, but in the end she was just better."

"This is a great win for me going into Roland Garros," Sharapova said. "I know the level she played there last year and the level she can play on clay, the way she defends and moves around and gets herself back into position, she's just a great player on any surface really. So this gives me a lot of confidence.

"It will be nice to have a week off now, after playing three tournaments in the last four weeks. I'll have to time to recover, mentally and physically."

Sharapova collected her second WTA title of the year, having won another Premier clay court event in Stuttgart last month, and it was the 26th WTA title of her career (the only active players with more WTA titles are Venus Williams with 43 and Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters, who both have 41).

This was also Sharapova's first time successfully defending a WTA clay court title, and fourth overall - she won back-to-back titles at Tokyo [Japan Open] in 2003 and 2004, Birmingham in 2004 and 2005 and San Diego in 2006 and 2007.

Li may not have won a WTA title since last year's French Open, but she has had some very strong results this year: finals at Premier-level events in Sydney and Rome and another four quarterfinals, all at Premier-level events too - Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Madrid. She is 5-7 in her career in WTA finals.



SOURCE: WTA


====================

yehey another clay title and 2nd title of the year.

[u_got_surf]

Congrats Claypova!!!

[shapescolors]

natawa talga ako sa first pic nya na yan hehhe, cutie! goodluck sa FO!!!!

[Feodore_Knox]

Hey everyone!

I'm inviting you all to join the PinoyExchange Fantasy League for this year's French Open!

Just visit this thread and post your picks! The deadline is on May 27, Sunday at 4:00 pm (GMT + 8:00).

'Hope to see you there!

[shapescolors]

Maria had a quick segment in the French Open program and she was asked about her Top 10 Favorite:

favorite song on her ipod right now is: Florence and the Machine's NEVER LET ME GO

favorite party to go to: she said her future wedding

favorite person to talk to: her mother

favorite get away: the beach with her pinya colada

that was a very hard fought 4th Round. looking forward for more matches.

[LOLOLOLOL]

is maria sharapova already #1 by entering the french open semifinal, or she still needs to get into the final to become #1?

[white rabbit]

is maria sharapova already #1 by entering the french open semifinal, or she still needs to get into the final to become #1?

she becomes no. 1 if she reaches the finals, win or lose.

i hope she wins to complete her grand slam. but first she must hurdle petra, who beat her in last year's wimbledon final.