米国インディアンウェルスで行われているBNPパリバオープンで第2シードのマリア・シャラポワは第13シードのマリア・キリレンコに6-4, 6-3のストレートで勝って2年連続での決勝進出。
決勝では第8シードのキャロライン・ウォズニアッキと対戦する。
今日の相手のキリレンコは第3シードのラドワンスカ、第5シードのクビトバを破ってのベスト4。2月のパタヤの大会では優勝もしていて要注意だった。
なお、月曜日に発表される新しいランキングでマリアはアザレンカを抜いて2位になる。（1位はセリーナ。）
決勝戦は現地時間で日曜日なので、日本では月曜日かな。もしかするとWBCの準決勝(侍ジャパン出場)と重なるくらいの時間？
シャラポワのコメント
「今大会の彼女は第3セットまで持ち込んで勝っているから第2セットは気を抜かずにプレイした。彼女は長いラリーが好きなので、自分はいつもより少し積極的に狙っていった。
(決勝の相手のウォズニアッキは)とてもタフな相手。守りがよくてボールが返ってくるからね。」
参考にしたAFP通信の記事
Sharapova books Indian Wells final against Wozniacki
By by Rebecca Bryan | Agence-France Presse – 2 hours 14 minutes ago
Maria Sharapova reached her first final of 2013 on Friday, beating Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-3 in a semi-final slugfest to set up
a title showdown with Caroline Wozniacki at Indian Wells.
By reaching the final, Sharapova is projected to rise one spot to No. 2 in the world when the new rankings are announced on
Monday.
"It's better than three, right?" said Sharapova, who was more focused on capturing a first title since her 2012 French Open
victory gave her a career Grand Slam.
She is playing in only her third tournament of the year. After withdrawing from Brisbane with a right collarbone injury she
reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and Doha.
The Russian lifted the trophy in the California desert in 2006 and was runner-up last year to Victoria Azarenka.
But in Wozniacki, who outlasted fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, she'll be up against an opponent with an
equally strong Indian Wells resume: a title in 2011 and a runner-up finish in 2010.
"She's always a tough opponent," Sharapova said of Wozniacki. "She's a grinder. She makes you work really hard on the
court and gets a lot of balls back."
Although Sharapova built a 3-1 lead in the opening set, she thought she could have started even stronger against the 15thseeded Kirilenko, whose triumph at Pattaya City made her the only semi-finalist to have won a title this year.
"I felt like it could have been up 4-0," Sharapova said, adding that she wanted as much cushion as she could build against a
player who had already beaten third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova en route to the semi-finals.
"She's had a few comebacks in this tournament and really good results," Sharapova said. "So, yeah, I stepped it up in the
second set."
Five of Sharapova's six aces came in the second frame, and she didn't face a break point.
"She likes to play those long points," Sharapova said. "My job was to be a little more aggressive than usual."
Wozniacki turned the tables on Kerber, who had won their last three meetings, but she had to work two and a half hours to
do it.
The match featured 14 breaks of serve -- seven in the third set alone.
"I just took it as it came - I was trying to figure out a way to win," Wozniacki said. "It doesn't really matter how."
決勝では第8シードのキャロライン・ウォズニアッキと対戦する。
今日の相手のキリレンコは第3シードのラドワンスカ、第5シードのクビトバを破ってのベスト4。2月のパタヤの大会では優勝もしていて要注意だった。
なお、月曜日に発表される新しいランキングでマリアはアザレンカを抜いて2位になる。（1位はセリーナ。）
決勝戦は現地時間で日曜日なので、日本では月曜日かな。もしかするとWBCの準決勝(侍ジャパン出場)と重なるくらいの時間？
シャラポワのコメント
「今大会の彼女は第3セットまで持ち込んで勝っているから第2セットは気を抜かずにプレイした。彼女は長いラリーが好きなので、自分はいつもより少し積極的に狙っていった。
(決勝の相手のウォズニアッキは)とてもタフな相手。守りがよくてボールが返ってくるからね。」
参考にしたAFP通信の記事
Sharapova books Indian Wells final against Wozniacki
By by Rebecca Bryan | Agence-France Presse – 2 hours 14 minutes ago
Maria Sharapova reached her first final of 2013 on Friday, beating Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-3 in a semi-final slugfest to set up
a title showdown with Caroline Wozniacki at Indian Wells.
By reaching the final, Sharapova is projected to rise one spot to No. 2 in the world when the new rankings are announced on
Monday.
"It's better than three, right?" said Sharapova, who was more focused on capturing a first title since her 2012 French Open
victory gave her a career Grand Slam.
She is playing in only her third tournament of the year. After withdrawing from Brisbane with a right collarbone injury she
reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and Doha.
The Russian lifted the trophy in the California desert in 2006 and was runner-up last year to Victoria Azarenka.
But in Wozniacki, who outlasted fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, she'll be up against an opponent with an
equally strong Indian Wells resume: a title in 2011 and a runner-up finish in 2010.
"She's always a tough opponent," Sharapova said of Wozniacki. "She's a grinder. She makes you work really hard on the
court and gets a lot of balls back."
Although Sharapova built a 3-1 lead in the opening set, she thought she could have started even stronger against the 15thseeded Kirilenko, whose triumph at Pattaya City made her the only semi-finalist to have won a title this year.
"I felt like it could have been up 4-0," Sharapova said, adding that she wanted as much cushion as she could build against a
player who had already beaten third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova en route to the semi-finals.
"She's had a few comebacks in this tournament and really good results," Sharapova said. "So, yeah, I stepped it up in the
second set."
Five of Sharapova's six aces came in the second frame, and she didn't face a break point.
"She likes to play those long points," Sharapova said. "My job was to be a little more aggressive than usual."
Wozniacki turned the tables on Kerber, who had won their last three meetings, but she had to work two and a half hours to
do it.
The match featured 14 breaks of serve -- seven in the third set alone.
"I just took it as it came - I was trying to figure out a way to win," Wozniacki said. "It doesn't really matter how."
