Serena Williams removes Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinal – Bank of the West Classic 2011
Kicking off on Day 6 was a much-hyped quarterfinal of the Bank of the West Classic 2011. The two former world number 1 players, the American Serena Williams and the Russian Maria Sharapova battled for the ninth time at the hard
courts of the Taube Family Tennis Center, Stanford University, California. On Friday night Williams completely outclassed world number 5 and number 2 seeded Maria Sharapova in just 69 minutes and 27 seconds 6-1, 6-3.
Both the players are familiar with each other’s technique and style, as they have battled each other eight times prior to this event. The two cross racquets for the last time at the third Grand Slam event; Wimbledon, London, Great
Britain in 2010 where Williams won the match 7-6(9) 6-4. The American has won six matches against Maria Sharapova; hence, it was likely that the 29-year-old American would bag yet another victory over her old-fangled rival.
The American (Serena) won the pitch and with a powerful serve she hit three aces one after another destroying Maria’s defence. She slammed her serves into the corners of the court in a tactful manner which made it impossible for
her opponent to return her shots. Hence, she was able to clench thirty two percent more total serve points than Maria. Additionally, pounding her huge ground strokes and tracking down almost everything Sharapova hit her way she won a grand seventy three percent
of her total return points.
While, Sharapova’s serve, which appeared to be improving when she won her title in Rome this year, seemed to have regressed while playing Serena. Maria was overshadowed by her style of serve and barely managed
to attain twenty seven percent of her total service points along with a below the par forty one percent in her total return serve.
The 29-year-old, Serena’s performance was promoted by the crowd as her fans cheered for her along ever second of the game. Her serve was an aggressive attack while her defence was as strong as an ox. She endorsed a single opportunity
to her opponent to break her and instead broke her opponent quadruple times.
Serena knew she had to win the set in order to win the match. Her serve in the second set had improved than the first set; she had an exceptional sixty eight percent win in her total serve points and was able to smash another three
aces that kept her opponent under her thumb. Mean while, the Russian (Sharapova) had obtained a mere thirty two percent in her return and also struck a double fault hitting the net.
The 24-year-old (Sharapova) was neither able to win nor save her break points, while Serena, on the other hand, was able to capitalize on the single break point she faced, and was able to save the three break points committed on
her own serve.
After the match while shrugging her shoulders Sharapova said, “I just didn’t have my timing at all but it’s a sport, you win some, you lose some, and you move on”
The world number 169 (Serena) won the match in a straight set victory over the world number 5 (Sharapova) sending a message to doubters that any rust in her game will be gone before the U.S. Open. Williams will
now face Sabine Lisicki in the semi-final of the Bank of the West Classic 2011.
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