T-Pain
03-31-2006, 04:50 AM
I read this and found it kinda amusing:
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Maria Sharapova blew a big lead, drew boos for taking a bathroom break and won only when opponent Tatiana Golovin was forced to retire in tears because of an ankle injury.
Maria Sharapova was rolling towards a straight sets win before Tatiana Golovin rallied. But Sharapova won when Golovin was forced to retire.
The hollow victory Thursday night earned Sharapova a berth in the final at the Nasdaq-100 Open.
Sharapova failed to convert four match points in the second set and played for another 75 minutes before Golovin twisted her left ankle and fell chasing a shot in the corner.
A trainer taped Golovin's ankle. The French teenager played one more point, hitting a return wide, then called it quits with Sharapova serving and leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 4-3, ad in.
"It's very unfortunate," Sharapova said. "She played unbelievable tennis, the best I've seen her play. She played basically out of her mind in the second set, and it was so close in the third set."
The stadium was less than half full when the match ended at 11:40 p.m. ET, but the fans were noisy. Three times they jeered Sharapova for taking a break leading 5-4 in the second set.
The interruption didn't deter Golovin, who won the crowd's favor by completing her comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the set to force a third set.
"`I should have finished it off, but that's not the way it went," Sharapova said. "But I have to forget about it and get ready for the final."
No. 4-seeded Sharapova 's opponent in the final Saturday will be No. 12 Svetlana Kuznetsova, who advanced by beating top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo for the second time in five weeks, 6-1, 6-4.
Sharapova is bidding for back-to-back titles after winning at Indian Wells. She's 2-2 against fellow Russian Kuznetsova, winning their past two meetings.
Sharapova led the No. 22-seeded Golovin 5-1 in the second set and held four match points serving at 5-3. But the situation inspired Golovin to raise her level of play, and she hung on by winning a series of long rallies to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Sharapova requested a bathroom break. Because of the timing of the request, the chair umpire initially turned her down before relenting.
Fans jeered as Sharapova trotted off the court and booed again when she returned. She said the jeering didn't surprise her.
"It's part of the sport," she said. "It happens everywhere. The crowd needs entertainment."
Golovin twice held serve to force the tiebreaker. She reached set point at 6-5, then hit a forehand that skipped off the net cord and landed on the baseline for a winner. Sharapova challenged the call, but instant replay confirmed the ruling, and the crowd erupted.
Sharapova took another bathroom break, and the crowd booed her again. There were no further jeers, and only cheers for Golovin at the finish as she limped off the court, her arm around a trainer. She was then taken to a hospital.
"I just overran the ball after I hit the ball," she said. "I felt the pain as soon as I landed on that ankle."
Wow, Maria must have really needed to go...she must have been growing up :lol
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Maria Sharapova blew a big lead, drew boos for taking a bathroom break and won only when opponent Tatiana Golovin was forced to retire in tears because of an ankle injury.
Maria Sharapova was rolling towards a straight sets win before Tatiana Golovin rallied. But Sharapova won when Golovin was forced to retire.
The hollow victory Thursday night earned Sharapova a berth in the final at the Nasdaq-100 Open.
Sharapova failed to convert four match points in the second set and played for another 75 minutes before Golovin twisted her left ankle and fell chasing a shot in the corner.
A trainer taped Golovin's ankle. The French teenager played one more point, hitting a return wide, then called it quits with Sharapova serving and leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 4-3, ad in.
"It's very unfortunate," Sharapova said. "She played unbelievable tennis, the best I've seen her play. She played basically out of her mind in the second set, and it was so close in the third set."
The stadium was less than half full when the match ended at 11:40 p.m. ET, but the fans were noisy. Three times they jeered Sharapova for taking a break leading 5-4 in the second set.
The interruption didn't deter Golovin, who won the crowd's favor by completing her comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the set to force a third set.
"`I should have finished it off, but that's not the way it went," Sharapova said. "But I have to forget about it and get ready for the final."
No. 4-seeded Sharapova 's opponent in the final Saturday will be No. 12 Svetlana Kuznetsova, who advanced by beating top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo for the second time in five weeks, 6-1, 6-4.
Sharapova is bidding for back-to-back titles after winning at Indian Wells. She's 2-2 against fellow Russian Kuznetsova, winning their past two meetings.
Sharapova led the No. 22-seeded Golovin 5-1 in the second set and held four match points serving at 5-3. But the situation inspired Golovin to raise her level of play, and she hung on by winning a series of long rallies to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Sharapova requested a bathroom break. Because of the timing of the request, the chair umpire initially turned her down before relenting.
Fans jeered as Sharapova trotted off the court and booed again when she returned. She said the jeering didn't surprise her.
"It's part of the sport," she said. "It happens everywhere. The crowd needs entertainment."
Golovin twice held serve to force the tiebreaker. She reached set point at 6-5, then hit a forehand that skipped off the net cord and landed on the baseline for a winner. Sharapova challenged the call, but instant replay confirmed the ruling, and the crowd erupted.
Sharapova took another bathroom break, and the crowd booed her again. There were no further jeers, and only cheers for Golovin at the finish as she limped off the court, her arm around a trainer. She was then taken to a hospital.
"I just overran the ball after I hit the ball," she said. "I felt the pain as soon as I landed on that ankle."
Wow, Maria must have really needed to go...she must have been growing up :lol