Maria Sharapova scales Chinese wall

Beijing: Maria Sharapova overcame a fierce challenge from Petra Kvitova on Sunday to win the China Open, her first title since she claimed victory at Roland Garros earlier this year.

It was a battling performance from the Russian World No.4, who will rise to number two in the rankings following her hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 win in Beijing, Kvitova’s first loss in nine games.

 

The fourth seed appeared to have carried into the final the determination she showed in her powerful 6-0, 6-4 semi-final defeat of Serbian World No.9, Ana Ivanovic. 

Kvitova, the World No.3, broke serve in the first game, but Sharapova fought back to force three break-points in the fourth, before deservedly breaking serve at the next opportunity.With Sharapova at 5-4 ahead, Kvitova dragged two cross-court shots wide to give her opponent the set.

 

But the Czech 24-year-old was dominant in the second set, racing to a 4-1 lead as she forced her opponent to stretch for a series of powerful baseline drives that were beyond reach.

Sharapova broke serve in the sixth game by forcing the left-handed Kvitova to miss-hit a fiercely struck drive to her right.

 

But the 27-year-old then double-faulted to hand a 5-2 lead to Kvitova, who claimed the next game to set up the decider. Sharapova was then at her ruthless best, taking two serves from Kvitova before a third daring attempt in the eighth game with the scores at 5-2 in her favour. The marathon nine-minute duel saw Kvitova rescue a match point before closing out the game.