september | 2012 | Maria Sharapova weblog

23 – 29 september 2012
Toray Pan Pacific Open – Tokyo Japan
Surface: Hard / Outdoors
Tier: Premier

Ook onder de jeugd van Japan is Maria inmens populair.


2nd RND	beat	Heather Watson	GBR	6-7 6-3 6-4
3rd RND	beat	Lucie Safarova	CZE	6-2 7-6
QF	lost	Samantha Stosur	AUS	4-6 6-7

27 september 2012

Maria in kwartfinale onderuit tegen Samantha Stosur.

Samantha Stosur is erin geslaagd voor de 2e keer in haar carriere van Maria te winnen.
De Australische ging 10 keer onderuit tegen Maria maar vanmiddag wist ze toch in een spannende kwartfinale van Maria te winnen.
In de 1e set liet Maria door 3 games op rij te verliezen de set glippen en ook in de 2e set kon Stosur bij 5-3 de partij zelf uitserveren.
Toch slaagde Maria erin om toch nog op 6-6 te komen en in de tiebreak pas op 12-10 te capituleren.

27 september:Maria neemt na haar verlies tegen Stosur afscheid van
het publiek in Tokyo..

25 september 2012

Maria battles into Tokyo 3rd Round.

Maria is through to the third round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo after she defeated Heather Watson of Great Britain. Maria won 6-7 6-3 6-4 in 3 hours and 9 minutes.

Maria broke in the first game of the match but was immediately broken back in the next game. At 5-4, Maria saved two set points and held her serve. After a trade of breaks in the next two games the set was decided by a tie-break which Watson won 9-7.

In the second set Maria broke to lead 2-0, when she hit a backhand crosscourt winner but Watson broke back in the next game. At 3-2, Maria broke Watson’s serve when she hit an overhead but again was broken in the next game. At 4-3, Maria won the next two games and won set point when Watson hit a shot long.

After some breaks at the beginning of the third set, Maria got the decisive break to lead 4-3 when Watson hit a shot wide. Maria won two of the next three games to take the match and won matchpoint on a shot long by Watson.

In Wednesday’s third round match, Maria will play No.16 seed Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. Maria has played Safarova once before at Madrid on clay in 2010 and Safarova won 6-4 6-3. The match is the third match on Centre Court and the schedule of play begins at 11.00 AM local time (10.00 PM ET (Monday), 7.00 PM PT (Monday) and 4.00 AM CET).