This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/sports/tennis/williams-sharapova-wta-final-is-set.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Williams Will Face Sharapova in Final | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| ISTANBUL — Faced with more of the best competition the professional tour has to offer, Serena Williams cruised again Saturday at the WTA Championships. | ISTANBUL — Faced with more of the best competition the professional tour has to offer, Serena Williams cruised again Saturday at the WTA Championships. |
| Williams, who won all three of her round-robin matches in straight sets, powered past a sluggish Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-1, in exactly one hour. | Williams, who won all three of her round-robin matches in straight sets, powered past a sluggish Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-1, in exactly one hour. |
| The third-seeded Williams will play second-seeded Maria Sharapova in Sunday’s final. Sharapova, who also finished 3-0 in round-robin play, defeated top-seeded Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-2, in the second semifinal. | The third-seeded Williams will play second-seeded Maria Sharapova in Sunday’s final. Sharapova, who also finished 3-0 in round-robin play, defeated top-seeded Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-2, in the second semifinal. |
| Sharapova won after several losses to Azarenka on hardcourts in 2012, in the finals of the Australian Open and in Beijing, and in the semifinals of the United States Open. But Sharapova beat Azarenka in April on indoor clay, and took advantage of the slower courts here to keep control of most rallies. | Sharapova won after several losses to Azarenka on hardcourts in 2012, in the finals of the Australian Open and in Beijing, and in the semifinals of the United States Open. But Sharapova beat Azarenka in April on indoor clay, and took advantage of the slower courts here to keep control of most rallies. |
| In July, Radwanska forced Williams to a third set in the Wimbledon final, their only previous meeting this year. But the road that Radwanska took to Saturday’s match appeared to have exhausted any energy she might have had. | In July, Radwanska forced Williams to a third set in the Wimbledon final, their only previous meeting this year. But the road that Radwanska took to Saturday’s match appeared to have exhausted any energy she might have had. |
| Radwanska, the fourth seed in a tournament that features the top eight women’s players in the world, played more than eight hours of tennis in her three round-robin matches; Williams played for less than five hours. Radwanska’s final round-robin match, against Sara Errani on Friday, lasted 3 hours 29 minutes, the longest best-of-three match in the history of the championships. | Radwanska, the fourth seed in a tournament that features the top eight women’s players in the world, played more than eight hours of tennis in her three round-robin matches; Williams played for less than five hours. Radwanska’s final round-robin match, against Sara Errani on Friday, lasted 3 hours 29 minutes, the longest best-of-three match in the history of the championships. |
| Williams had Friday off, having played three consecutive days to begin the tournament. | Williams had Friday off, having played three consecutive days to begin the tournament. |
| When asked when fatigue had started to set in during Saturday’s semifinal, Radwanska said: “Actually, yesterday. Those last two matches really killed me, especially that I didn’t have the day off. I really need that. And especially that surface. You know, it’s very sticky, so three and a half hours is a lot. I’m really tired today, and I really wanted to run, but my legs didn’t.” | When asked when fatigue had started to set in during Saturday’s semifinal, Radwanska said: “Actually, yesterday. Those last two matches really killed me, especially that I didn’t have the day off. I really need that. And especially that surface. You know, it’s very sticky, so three and a half hours is a lot. I’m really tired today, and I really wanted to run, but my legs didn’t.” |
| Early in the match, however, Radwanska engaged Williams in her preferred style of cat-and-mouse rallies, pulling Williams forward with low slices and drop shots. But after Radwanska broke Williams at love in the fourth game of the match to level the opening set at 2-2, Williams resolved to inject more power into her shots early in rallies, a tactic that paid quick dividends as Radwanska’s legs abandoned her. | Early in the match, however, Radwanska engaged Williams in her preferred style of cat-and-mouse rallies, pulling Williams forward with low slices and drop shots. But after Radwanska broke Williams at love in the fourth game of the match to level the opening set at 2-2, Williams resolved to inject more power into her shots early in rallies, a tactic that paid quick dividends as Radwanska’s legs abandoned her. |
| Knowing well about her opponent’s workload, Williams stopped to console Radwanska at the net when they shook hands after the match. | Knowing well about her opponent’s workload, Williams stopped to console Radwanska at the net when they shook hands after the match. |
| “Just told her it was awesome that she played so well and played through another match after playing a good eight hours,” Williams said of the conversation. “It was really inspiring for me.” | “Just told her it was awesome that she played so well and played through another match after playing a good eight hours,” Williams said of the conversation. “It was really inspiring for me.” |
| Radwanska said: “She was surprised that I really tried after those kind of matches. I’m like, yeah, this is a tournament that you just fight until the end. Of course, I knew that I’m not that fresh like I was before. I was trying, but of course Serena played too fast. I just couldn’t do anything.” | Radwanska said: “She was surprised that I really tried after those kind of matches. I’m like, yeah, this is a tournament that you just fight until the end. Of course, I knew that I’m not that fresh like I was before. I was trying, but of course Serena played too fast. I just couldn’t do anything.” |
| Radwanska had been able to do quite a bit throughout the year, reaching her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and getting her ranking to a career-high No. 2. Fittingly, given the year-capping purpose of this event, the top four players in the WTA rankings had advanced to the semifinals: No. 1 Azarenka, No. 2 Sharapova, No. 3 Williams and No. 4 Radwanska. | Radwanska had been able to do quite a bit throughout the year, reaching her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and getting her ranking to a career-high No. 2. Fittingly, given the year-capping purpose of this event, the top four players in the WTA rankings had advanced to the semifinals: No. 1 Azarenka, No. 2 Sharapova, No. 3 Williams and No. 4 Radwanska. |
| In 2012, they had combined to win all four Grand Slam championships, all four WTA premier mandatory tournaments, and all three Olympic medals in women’s singles, but this was the first time they had all reached the semifinals of the same tournament. | In 2012, they had combined to win all four Grand Slam championships, all four WTA premier mandatory tournaments, and all three Olympic medals in women’s singles, but this was the first time they had all reached the semifinals of the same tournament. |
| In the first match of the day, a doubles semifinal, the defending champions, Lisa Raymond and Liezel Huber, fell to Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Huber had a set point on her serve at 6-5 in the first set tiebreaker, but she double-faulted twice. Hlavackova hit a forehand winner on her pair’s ensuing set point, which left Huber crashing to the ground and shifted momentum in the match for good. | In the first match of the day, a doubles semifinal, the defending champions, Lisa Raymond and Liezel Huber, fell to Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Huber had a set point on her serve at 6-5 in the first set tiebreaker, but she double-faulted twice. Hlavackova hit a forehand winner on her pair’s ensuing set point, which left Huber crashing to the ground and shifted momentum in the match for good. |
| In Sunday’s doubles final, Hlavackova and Hradecka will play Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova, who defeated Errani and Roberta Vinci, 6-1, 3-6, 10-4. | In Sunday’s doubles final, Hlavackova and Hradecka will play Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova, who defeated Errani and Roberta Vinci, 6-1, 3-6, 10-4. |