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Maria in pink








 

“I’ve been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.”

 
 
Posted on Nov 08 / 2006 / 9:43 PM


World number two Maria Sharapova racked up her 18th win in a row with a clinical 6-4 6-4 victory over Kim Clijsters in the round robin stage of the season-ending WTA Championships on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old, who is competing with Justine Henin-Hardenne and Amelie Mauresmo for the year-end number one spot, tops the red group after two straight sets victories and has one foot in the semi-finals of a tournament she won in 2004.

Former world number one Clijsters made an impressive return to action after a two-month lay-off with a wrist injury by winning in Hasselt at the weekend, but there was little she could do to counter Sharapova's power play at the Madrid Arena.


Backed by her heavy serve and pin-point ground strokes, Sharapova kept Clijsters under pressure to take the opening set 6-4.

The teenager turned the screw to break once again in the fifth and seventh of the second set, but the Belgian, who won back-to-back WTA Championship titles in 2002 and 2003, refused to give up without a fight.

She broke back in the eighth and had two more break points in the 10th, but the determined Sharapova held firm and won through with an ace.


Although Clijsters was victorious in the first four clashes between the players, Sharapova has now won on their last two meetings.

Comments: 20 reactions

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FELICIDADES MARIA. AHORA A DESCANSAR Y A GANAR EL VIERNES A SVETLANA. GRACIAS POR TU TENIS

by FERNANDO on Nov 08 / 2006 / 9:50 PM |


welldone maria u played some great tennis

by mikey on Nov 08 / 2006 / 9:54 PM |


Great Maria. You will win the wta-championship.

by kabom on Nov 08 / 2006 / 10:30 PM |


Eres la mejor..!!! I Love You!!!!

by Ruben on Nov 08 / 2006 / 10:46 PM |


Hail to our tennis Queen Mashabravo Masha great win over Clijsters,keep the Pure Angleic Bliss rollin

by Richard T on Nov 08 / 2006 / 11:53 PM |


congratulations! go for the place number one in WTA, you are the best! Bogota- colombia

by YURI RIZO on Nov 09 / 2006 / 12:23 AM |


You are playing great Maria. You will win the WTA-Championslhip. New York

by Walter on Nov 09 / 2006 / 1:31 AM |


wonderful match and your win I´m so happy Giovanni from Czech republic

by Giovanni on Nov 09 / 2006 / 7:04 AM |


Great Maria, I am impressed.You need to make your serves much better, that nobody can take it off you. good luck maria!!!!!!!

by zorang on Nov 09 / 2006 / 10:35 AM |


Good match... I think it be little hard after first sets but she crushed Clijsters

by Lukas from Poland on Nov 09 / 2006 / 10:46 AM |


Well done, and good luck all teh way through. Hope you can win the No.1 Title at the end of the season, and I know you can do it. GO GO GO MARIA!

by Wilson, TIN ON CHOI on Nov 09 / 2006 / 12:48 PM |


YOUARE FANTSTIC MARIA COM ON

by hamada on Nov 09 / 2006 / 2:41 PM |


Masha, Great game! The best is still to come! Love, Wester

by Wester Moraes - Brazil on Nov 09 / 2006 / 3:59 PM |


Congratulation! Well done, masha

by Austria on Nov 09 / 2006 / 4:16 PM |


I LOVE YOU Maria Sharapova!!!!!

by Gergő on Nov 09 / 2006 / 4:24 PM |


PRIMERA DE GRUPO, GANAR SEMIS Y GANAR FINAL. EL RESTO NO IMPORTA. ANIMO MARIA

by FERNANDO on Nov 09 / 2006 / 4:25 PM |


My best Wishes for you, i hope you win this WTA - championship. You are my favorite Maria also you are playing a great tennis.

by Danny on Nov 09 / 2006 / 6:18 PM |


Still go on Maria and you will win this amazing tournament. I want to see you in the top of the wta ranking.

by Danny (Uruguay) on Nov 09 / 2006 / 6:22 PM |


you're angel!wonderful!come on,be champion of wta-championship in second time and let one spot belong to u!i always support u!aku cinta kamu...indonesian always wait u to play in this place!

by iqbal on Nov 10 / 2006 / 8:10 AM |


SUERTEEEEEEESEGUI GANANDO

by EVELIN ACUÑA on Nov 19 / 2006 / 8:15 PM |


 
1R
Camille Pin
  6-3 4-6 9-7 beat
2R
Anastassia Rodionova
  6-0 6-3 beat
3R
Tathiana Garbin
  6-3 6-1 beat
4R
Vera Zvonareva
  7-5 6-4 beat
QF
Anna Chakvetadze
  7-6 7-5 beat
SF
Kim Clijsters
  6-4 6-2 beat
F
Serena Williams
  1-6 2-6 lost