26/01/2012 16:09 CEST - AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Superb Maria defeats Kvitova

sharapova

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Another big match today in Melbourne. Masha and Petra were playing each other six months after the Wimbledon final. This time it wasn't on the legendary Church road Lawn, but the slower blue hard court of the Rod Laver Arena. The surface didn't help the Czech. In Wimbledon Petra was able to end the rally quickly and she had the better of Sharapova, winning her first Grand Slam. This time Sharapova won in a tense and difficult match. The prize was the not only a place in the final, but also the chance to become the world number 1. So Masha and Vika will fight it out on Saturday for both the Open trophy and the number 1 crown. The Russian already knows how it feels to be on top of the world, it would be a fantastic come back after some difficult years following her shoulder injury. Instead Kvitova will have to wait even if she has won Wimbledon, the WTA Masters and the Fed Cup in a fantastic 2011, at just 21 years of age. If Sharapova wins the final she will be number 1, Azarenka will become second and Kvitova third in the world rankings. If Azarenka should prevail on Saturday then Vika will be number 1, Kvitova second and Sharapova third.

Its was a sunny and windy day and Masha started brightly bombarding Kvitova from the base line, Kvitova responded in kind. The start resembled a boxing match, they were trying to out-muscle each other. Petra was not as precise as usual and her mistakes allowed Masha to let her ground strokes loose to hind herself ahead 5-2. She needed 2 set points to win the first set 6-2. Her serve was sharp and powerful leaving Petra no time to think, but Petra's unforced errors made a big difference.

In the second set Petra was able to compose herself and she started to impose her authority. She was 3-0 ahead and her ground strokes were precise and powerful and the Russian was now making mistakes. Petra was 5-2 up and when Maria tried to react a fan declared himself with a loud “Maria I love you so much” and she managed to cut the gap to 5-3. In the following game Kvitova needed just the first of three set points she had to win the second set 6-2. It was a tops turvy match, each player dominated the set they won.

Masha started the third set pushing even more jumping on the ball as soon as possible to move her opponent as much as possible, but Petra was fighting on and she was screaming at a very high pitch after every winner. After 20 minutes of the third set the sore was tied at 2 all. Masha was insisting with tight cross court shots, but it was one of many mistakes by Petra that allowed the Russian to go ahead 3-2. The Czech had the chance to break the Russian at 3 all, but she made another forehand mistake. The two players were very tense by now and Sharapova made a double fault on her advantage. Both players were alternating excellent shots to unforced errors, but in the end the seventh game went Maria's way. Petra was not going to let her missed chance discourage her and she equalled the score to 4 all. Sharapova held her serve again and in the following game Sharapova had 2 match-points. She won 6-2 3-6 6-4 in 2 hours and 12 minutes.

In the press conference she said “It means so much to be back in a Grand Slam final, a stage I have been to before few years ago here. It's nice to get that far again after losing quite early in the last couple of years. I played someone that's just had really great results and has beaten me the last couple of times. I just really wanted it today.”

Laura Guidobaldi