Maria Sharapova struggles pass Agnieszka Radwanska into the quarter-finals – French Open 2011
Former world number one, Maria Sharapova of Russia, displayed her vintage form to edge past the 13th ranked Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the fourth round of Roland Garros on Monday. The seventh seed Russian required two hours to outplay her opponent in straight sets 7-6(4), 7-5, booking a berth in the final eight of the Grand Slam tournament of the year.
The in-form Sharapova has been outstanding throughout this year’s French Open, winning all of his matches in an assertive manner. She had to labour hard to take down the resilient Pole opponent in the fourth round encounter and make it into the quarter-finals of the mega event.
It was the seventh victory Sharapova had against Radwanska in singles encounter, leading their head-to-head series by 7-1. The only win Radwanska had over the Russian was back in 2007, when she took down Sharapova in an enthralling three-setter in the US Open. The world number eight has bagged six consecutive victories against Radwanska since her US Open defeat.
Sharapova’s brilliant forms has put her among the strongest contenders for winning Roland Garros and she is now just two wins away to get a title shot in Paris. Her victory over the world number 13, Radwanska, hints her level of confidence and competency in the tournament.
“I played smart when I needed to be smart and was patient at the right times,” Sharapova told after her fourth round victory. “This tournament is one I’ve always said would be the most challenging for me to win, but I’ve always worked really hard on trying to get myself prepared as well as I could for it, physically and mentally, knowing sometimes you have to be more patient than in points in other tournaments.”
The contest was evenly poised throughout, with both contestants putting up their best efforts to come out as the winner. Sharapova fired 47 winners in the contest, with seven aces and Radwanska lagged far behind with merely 13 winners.
Radwanska had brilliant starts to both sets in the game but eventually tend to lose focus in the later parts of the matchup. She hung in the opener till the tie breaker round but Sharapova took the better of her to seal the first set at 7-6(4). The Russian carried on her winning momentum to conclude victory in the second set at 7-5 and books a quarter-final date with the 15th seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany. Petkovic was successful against the 23rd seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia in the fourth round of the French Open earlier.
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