Maria Sharapova knocks-out Li Na to reach the semi-final – Sony Ericsson Open 2012
Another stunning performance from the second ranked Russian, Maria Sharapova, confirmed her a spot in the semi-final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. On Tuesday, the Chinese number one, Li Na, fell in her trap and could just
grab three games in the whole match; falling apart 3-6, 0-6. It was just a matter of 68 minutes for Sharapova to wrap this story and move on with style.
The 24-years-old Russian broke serve in the opening game of the first set but couldn’t consolidate it with a serve hold. Such a startling start to the encounter enhanced the momentum of the play right from the word go. Both players
swapped breakpoints to keep the scores together at 2-2.
Sharapova was the first to hold on to her serve in the sixth game but not before she had broken her opponent for the third time in a row. She was leading the scores 4-2 at that stage and looked a solid contender to bag the opening
set.
Li registered a serve hold for the first time in the seventh game of the encounter but wasn’t able to repeat the heroics in the ninth game of the set; failing to win a single point and donating the lead of one set to her opponent.
The second set was a bagel for the Russian. She won 30 points in total; double to her opponent’s tally and gobbled up three breakpoints from the allotted eight opportunities. She broke the trend with this win and out a halt to
a four match head-to-head winning streak of the 30-years-old Chinese against her. This marks the end of the eighth ranked Li and helps Sharapova to book a date with another former world number one from Denmark, Caroline Wozniacki.
In a post-match interview, Sharapova stated, “I came into this match losing to her the last few times. I really wanted to change that. I was really consistent today in conditions where it was a little gusty and blowing around,
and I faced a tough opponent too. I did a good job of maintaining my consistency throughout the whole match."
She further added, “Either one is extremely tough. I haven't beaten Serena in a while, so I'd love to play her. It's good to see her back and playing really good tennis and Caroline has been one of the most consistent players on
the tour for many reasons.” It was a reply to a question about her potential opponent in the semi-final.
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