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Sharapova takes out Davenport at Dubai
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-25 14:52
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Maria Sharapova beat defending champion Lindsay
Davenport 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 Friday to reach the final of the Dubai Women's Open.
She'll face Justine Henin-Hardenne, who defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 7-5
in the other semifinal. Henin-Hardenne will play for her third Dubai title in
four years.
Because rain postponed quarterfinal matches on Thursday, the semifinals were
also played on Friday.
In the earlier quarterfinals, Sharapova defeated Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-4,
Henin-Hardenne beat Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (5) and Davenport needed three
sets to beat Maria Kirilenko 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo's run of three consecutive tournament wins ended
with a 7-6 (11), 6-4 loss to Kuznetsova. Mauresmo, ranked No. 2 in the world,
won the Australian Open and tournaments in France and Belgium this season.
Davenport took a 4-0 lead against Sharapova and enjoyed two more breaks to
wrap up the first set.
Sharapova raced through the second set, earning three breaks with strong
forehand and backhand winners. In the third, Sharapova broke for 5-3 and served
out to make the Dubai final in her debut.
"I played two players of completely different styles today and that took some
time adjusting," Sharapova said.
Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam singles winner, kept pace with Sharapova until
3-3 in the quarterfinal. The Russian then unleashed forehand winners to break
Hingis in the seventh and ninth games to win the first set.
"I needed to keep on attacking as it is difficult to keep rallying with her,"
Sharapova said.
The pair twice traded serves to tie 3-3 in the second set before Sharapova
broke Hingis in the eighth game. Sharapova had a chance to serve for the set,
but made several unforced errors before converting her third match point.
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