MARIA SHARAPOVA

French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne played exceptionally well against former Wimbledon Champion Maria Sharapova to win the Dubai Open for a third time in four years 7-5 6-2.

Maria Sharapova looked tense as she playing her first final in eight months since June in Birmingham. From then Maria Sharapova had lost six straight semi-finals, including Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open this year, until the win over Lindsay Davenport here.

In first set both players held first six games and only giving just two points on serve. Every game was contested tightly from there on.

Maria Sharapova broke to lead 5 - 3 as she hit a perfect drop shot that caused Justine to drop her racquet, and then miss-hit a backhand wide.

Justine stopped Maria Sharapova any further advance and conceded just one point from 5 - 5 to win the set 7 - 5.

In the second set, Justine broke Maria Sharapova to lead 3 - 2 as the Russian netted a forehand from the fourth seeds fierce return.

Henin-Hardenne made a great effort to earn a second break, when she ran down a ball Maria Sharapova and made a glorious backhand winner.

However, Maria Sharapova’s final effort to save the match was failed, when Henin-Hardenne held two break points and won the match.

“I think it was high quality, especially in the first set. Both of us were playing well. Maria put a lot of pressure on myself, especially from the beginning to 5-3.” admits Justine Henin-Hardenne.

“I was a little bit too far from my baseline, but as soon as I put one step forward and maybe tried to play a little bit more in the center she didn’t have the angles,” said the Belgian.

“I played great tennis this week,” Maria Sharapova said, “It was a tremendous effort for me to be able to play two really tough matches yesterday and still play a high level of tennis today.”

“In the first set it was just one or two balls didn’t go my way I guess,” Maria Sharapova explains,” and then after that I was physically tired from yesterday.”

“I played two difficult games yesterday.” referring to the matches she won against Hingis and Davenport, “It took a lot out of me. My legs were starting to get a bit tired and I wasn’t moving so well.”

Russian Tennis Queen Maria Sharapova handed over defeat to American tennis star Lindsay Davenport on Saturday, the same day she ousted SWISS MISS Martina Hingis, in Dubai.

Due to Rain interruption the quarter-finals and semi-finals of Dubai Open Tennis was rescheduled to same day.

It was nearly midnight by the time Maria Sharapova had completed her 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over the defending champion and second seeded Lindsay Davenport.

In the first set Lindsay Davenport took a 4-0 lead against Maria Sharapova and further enjoyed two breaks to wrap up the first set 6- 3.

However, Maria Sharapova went on to break Davenport thrice in the second set with strong forehand and backhand winners, 6 - 1.

Maria Sharapova broke Davenport in the eighth game of the third set. At 5 - 3 Maria Sharapova served out to wrap the set and the match in her favor.

“It was definitely a big battle,” said Maria Sharapova, “She was hitting winners left and right but once I started feeling a little bit better I gained more confidence.”
“I played against two totally different opponents today and it took me a while to get used to the pace at the beginning and that took some time adjusting,” Sharapova mentioned about her quarter final clash with Martina Hingis earlier.

Maria Sharapova will now face Justine Henin-Hardenne, who will play for her third Dubai title in four years and defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 7-5 in the other semifinal.

“I am looking forward to playing against Justine,” Maria Sharapova said. Henin-Hardenne won the last three matches with Maria Sharapova including the Australian Open Semi Final last month, “We had a great match when we last played at the Australian Open semifinals, and I lost because a couple of points went against me.”

Maria Sharapova is to play for her 11th career title, and first since June, last year.

Teen Tennis Queen Maria Sharapova met the comeback queen Martina Hingis, the inaugural champion of the event in 2001, in the quarter finals of Dubai Open Tennis Championship.

Martina Hingis had won in their previous meeting in Japan a fortnight ago, was not able to do anything that could stop Maria Sharapova.

Five-time Grand Slam singles winner Martina Hingis, kept pace with Maria Sharapova until 3 - 3 in the first set. Maria Sharapova broke Hingis in the seventh and ninth games by unleashing forehand winners.

In the second set both traded serves to tie at 3 -3 before irresistible Maria Sharapova broke Martina Hingis in the eight game.

Former World number 1 Maria Sharapova made several unforced errors, lost two match points and converted the third match point to win the second set and the match 6 - 3, 6 - 4.

“I was not patient enough, and my concentration was not good,” ranked 50 after three years of retirement “My aim right now is to get seedings in tournaments. That should give me a few easy first-round matches. If I can achieve that, I will start thinking of other goals,” Martina Hingis said.

Maria Sharapova said “I needed to keep on attacking as it is difficult to keep rallying with her.”