Sharapova battles to Wimbledon win against Zahlavova-Strycova
Maria Sharapova has claimed a hard fought 7-5, 6-3 victory over Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova in the third round at Wimbledon.
While Zahlavova-Strycova delivered a performance that might be worthy of an Academy Award in the emotion-charged match, the big question is whether Sharapova did enough to suggest she is a threat to Serena Williams’ title defence when they meet in the fourth round.
A total of 35 unforced errors and six double faults in today’s match is enough to create some doubt that she is; an undeniable determination and hunger for victory suggest that she’ll at least challenge the world No. 1 in that match.
Serving first against the feisty Zahlavova-Strycova, the 16th seed lost the opening three points of the match as she struggled to find her range with a wide forehand after Sharpova had saved one break point handing Zahlavova-Strycova the early break.
The Russian, however, immediately broke back to erase the damage that had been caused by her slow start but after staving off one break point in the third game of the match couldn’t save the second as games continued to go against serve.
In the fourth of an error strewn opening quartet of games (where Sharapova made 11 unforced errors and Zahlavova-Strycova five) the Czech saved double break point before a swinging volley sealed the break for Sharapova on the third.
The fifth game of the match finally saw the first service hold of the match when Zahlavova-Strycova dragged a forehand wide, Sharapova’s first pump and “come on” - a phrase which would be blasted in her opponent’s direction more than once over the course of the afternoon - indicating the importance of the moment, but she was unable back it up in the sixth game with another break of serve.
As emotions ran high Zahlavova-Strycova started to find all manner of reasons to vent her frustrations from Sharapova’s balancing act to avoid touching the net (the Czech questioning the umpire as to whether Sharapova’s skirt had touched the net); to the fact the majority of challenges seemed to end in Sharapova’s favour.
The irritation seemed to be infectious, with Sharapova subsequently questioning whether the umpire was going to overrule any of the calls that the former world No. 1 was consistently challenging – and getting right.
After squandering break point chances against Zahlavova-Strycova’s serve at 5-4, the former world No. 1 made no mistake about converting the double break point chance handed to her when the Czech double faulted to take a 1-0 lead in the match while her opponent took out her annoyance on her racquet.
But with momentum in her favour, Sharapova gifted the break in the opening game of the second set courtesy of two double faults and the same number of unforced errors. The 23-year-old however, broke back immediately, and then again with a backhand winner at the end of a marathon Zahlavova-Strycova service game to take a 4-2 lead in the set.
It was to prove the decisive advantage as games remained on serve and Sharapova sealed the victory with an ace after almost two hours on court.
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