Sharapova Advances to Australian Open Quarterfinals

January 23, 2012 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Russia’s Maria Sharapova has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2012 Australian Open in a hard-fought, three set win against Germany’s Sabine Lisicki. Sharapova is the fourth seed and came back from dropping the opening set to defeat the 14th-ranked Lisicki, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The match wasn’t necessarily expected to be as close as it was. Sharapova came into the match hot, having walked into Rod Laver Arena having lost just five games in her previous three matches, and spending only three hours and 29 minutes on court. In contrast, Lisicki had been hampered by an abdominal injury that forced her to withdraw from to tournaments leading up to the Australian Open. Lisicki, however, finally found her range and reeled off six successive games to win the first set.

In the second set, Sharapova began to control the pace of the match, stopping Lisicki’s high-paced game to take the second set in 42 min.

“She’s a really solid player,” Sharapova said of Lisicki, who she beat in last year’s Wimbledon semi-finals. “If you play to her strengths, if you give her time that’s what she really does best, she gets a good strike on the ball and can hit a good winner from any side of the court."

Sharapova broke Lisicki in the final set to seal the victory and her trip to the quarterfinals where she will face fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova, an upset winner of Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-3.

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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