Sharapova’s chances to end year on top hit by loss to Wozniacki
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MARIA Sharapova’s chances of claiming the season-ending No. 1 ranking were hurt after a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2 loss to Caroline Wozniacki at the WTA Finals in Singapore last night.
Sharapova had 15 double-faults, including two while serving for the first set, and 76 unforced errors. Wozniacki finished the match, which has 12 breaks of serve, with 35 unforced errors.
It was Wozniacki’s second straight victory over Sharapova. The Dane also won in the fourth round of this year’s US Open.
Sharapova needs to at least reach the final in Singapore and hope Serena Williams loses her two remaining group matches to overtake the American and finish the season with the top ranking for the first time.
In yesterday’s other White Group match, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was to face Agnieszka Radwanska.
After forcing the tiebreaker in the first set, Wozniacki trailed 4-2 but won five straight points to take the set.
Wozniacki went up a break early in the second, but relinquished the advantage in the sixth game as she complained to the chair umpire about swirling lights which suddenly came on mid-point and remained on for the rest of the game.
The Dane recovered quickly after dropping the set, however, breaking Sharapova early in the third and then again to end it.
All four of Sharapova’s titles in 2014 required three sets, but it was Wozniacki, who is planning to run the New York Marathon next month, that had held on for victory this time.
Earlier, Monica Puig came away as one of the big winners at the season-ending event. Ranked 61st in the world, the 21-year-old Puig was never a contender to make the elite lineup reserved for the world’s top eight female players.
However, the Puerto Rican earned herself a trip to Singapore courtesy of her popularity and an innovative event that the WTA hopes will shine a light on the game’s next generation.
For the first time, the WTA ran a consolation event, called the Rising Stars, at the same venue as the Finals. Just four players were picked for the event, decided by fan votes, two from Asia-Pacific and two from the rest of the world.
Puig beat each of her three opponents — Zheng Saisai, Shelby Rogers and Zarina Diyas — during the round-robin phase then beat Zheng again, 6-4 6-3, in yesterday’s final.
“When I found out that I was going to come here, I was just overwhelmed and so overjoyed that I have another chance to bring out my best tennis and compete as hard as I can,” Puig, who pocketed US$20,000 with the victory, told reporters.
In Spain, Tommy Robredo advanced to the second round of the Valencia Open by beating fifth-seeded John Isner 7-6 (3), 6-3 yesterday.
Robredo saved five break points to force a first-set tiebreaker, which he dominated and won after the American netted a forehand.
The Spaniard will next play Lu Yen-hsun of Chinese Taipei.
Also, fourth-seeded Feliciano Lopez moved past Norbert Gombos of Slovakia 6-4, 6-4 and will play Pablo Carreno Busta next.
Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine ousted eighth-seeded Gilles Simon 6-0, 6-3 with 10 aces, and broke the Frenchman five times. Dusan Lajovic of Serbia also won his opener.
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