Sharapova

Li Na and Maria Sharapova played each other in the semifinals at Birmingham last season with China’s best player claiming a 6-4, 6-4 victory.  This year, the top two seeds went at it again with the title and the Maud Watson Trophy at stake.

Despite her 2^nd seed, the leggy Sharapova was favored to register her sixth career win against Li.  Maria started strongly, rushing to a 3-1 lead before Li hit her stride.  Her fifth game break pulled the set even and unnerved the hard serving former champion.  From 2-3, the top seed contested every point and eventually proved the seeding correct while denying Maria her third title of the season with a gutsy 7-5, 6-1 triumph.

Li used her full court game and full court retrieving abilities to overcome Sharapova’s big serve and deep power strokes.  After losing the tense first set, the wheels seemed to fall off the usually competitive Russian’s game plan.  Li marched through the second set in just 29 minutes to earn the right to proudly lift the Watson Trophy for the first time.

The win was Li’s third career title and placed her back in the tour’s top ten.  Previously, Li won the Guangzhou title in 2004 and the Gold Coast championship in 2008.  On the strength of her Memphis and Strasbourg wins, Sharapova was seeking to become the first player to win three championships this year.

Both players survived strong challenges in the semifinals.  Li withstood a rousing challenge from France’s surging power plug Aravane Rezai.  Rezai started erratically with her vaunted power game in disarray.  Li took full advantage of the unforced errors en route to her 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win.

In the second set, the stylish Frenchwoman started to land her piercing two-handed backhands and driving forehands.  After being run from side to side, Li regained her composure. In the third set, Li put her legs to work and lengthened the points to record the victory.  Li’s ability to withstand surges by harder hitters has marked her success this season.

Sharapova also had to elevate her game in the third set against Cinderella qualifier Alison Riske, who made a name for herself on the grass in Birmingham.   Sharapova recorded the most powerful serve of her career at 121 mph en route to her 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win.  Despite her loss in the finals, Sharapova’s big game is rounding into form after a season and a half of recovering from various injuries.

Meanwhile, Riske vaulted from obscurity to the front pages by registering wins over such powerhouses as Aleksandra Wozniak and Yanina Wickmayer before challenging Sharapova.  Riske showed she belongs on the big stage.  The AEGON Classic just may have launched the tour’s next star.

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