TENNIS WTA CINCINNATI – Ana Ivanovic booked her place in the Cincinnati final after beating Maria Sharapova 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in a thrilling match. The Serb will face Serena Williams in the final.
Ana Ivanovic set up a final clash against Serena Williams after a thrilling semifinal encounter against Maria Sharapova. The match was a roller-coaster ride of emotions with plenty of twists and turns making this semifinal a candidate for match of the year.
Ivanovic took the first quite easily, she broke the Russian’s serve twice, in the fourth and eighth games. Sharapova was struggling to find her rhythm and even though she did produce a few winners, she was also making many unforced errors (6 winners, 15 unforced errors).
The second set started where the first set finished with Ivanovic taking a 4-0 lead, but the match turned in the fifth game when Ivanovic conceded a break point. The Serb thought she had saved it with a backhand that landed on the line, but it was called out and even though Sharapova didn’t return the ball, the umpire decided to repeat the point. Ivanovic’s protested, but to no avail as the Russian then broke serve. Ivanovic still had a break advantage and had the chance to serve for the match at 5-4, but the tension got the better of her allowing Sharapova back into the match. The Russian was now in control as she took the next to games to win the second set 7-5.
After the Serb walked off court to regroup, the third set started with another twist to the plot. In the second game Ivanovic had a problem with her thigh at 15 all. She called for the physio and the doctor. Both intervened to aid the Serb who was getting massaged by the physio as the doctor measured her blood pressure. “I was really feeling nauseous.” explained Ivanovic after the match. “I think I ate something bad today. When my coach was coming out, I kept telling him I don’t feel good, like my stomach is really upset. Then it really build up in the third set and I was not feeling fine. They gave me some pills and after some games it was better.” Sharapova explained in her press conference that she didn’t fully understand what happened in that medical time-out, “I never actually got a clear answer on what it was, but, I mean, I don’t know. Could have been something like an anxiety or something. I’m not really sure what you take blood pressure for. We played a pretty long point afterwards and she seemed to be doing well. Not really sure what was going on there.” She also said, “it was just a strange timing. I’m not sure kind of how it happened. Just kind of came out of nowhere. Just don’t know what to do in that situation, because you either sit down, are they going to take a medical timeout, but then they don’t and you got to get up and then you got to serve and it’s 15 All. The timing was a bit strange, but she looked okay.”
After this incident, Sharapova took a 4-2 lead, but Ivanovic continued to fight recovering the break to draw level at 4 games each. The Russian took another break in the ninth game and had the opportunity to serve for a place in the final. After saving two break points, Sharapova had a match point, but Ivanovic cancelled it with a powerful forehand that kissed the lines. The Roland Garros champion then wasted a second opportunity to win the match with a wayward forehand and then incredibly handed the break to the Serb with two consecutive double faults, 5-5. In the following game Ivanovic saved another break point but she her service game to go 6-5 ahead. In the twelfth game Ivanovic went ahead 15-40, Sharapova had the strength to save the first match point, but Ivanovic attacked the net on the second to win this thrilling match.
