Maria Sharapova registered her first win since Wimbledon, coming back from a set down to beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Singapore.
Sharapova, who had failed to complete a match since Wimbledon, started well for a player who might have seemed rusty. She held her first service game with ease, and seemed more attacking, coming in often to finish points with driven volleys. Radwanska forced deuce in game three, but did not create a break point. Sharapova did in game four, twice, but two errors saved Radwanska and she would hold.
In game seven Radwanska, who had forced deuce to two Sharapova games, created two break points after a backhand overhead winner. Sharapova saved both with an ace and a driven volley. She then held the game.
But Sharapova effectively handed Radwanska two more chances in her next service game, double-faulting twice. A backhand into the net gave Radwanska the chance to serve for the opening set. A final backhand landed long from Sharapova, and Radwanska led by a set.
Radwanska was staying more consistent, just waiting for the stream of errors from Sharapova that seemed to outweigh the flashy winners. Sharapova did manage to escape love-thirty in game one of the second set, with more winners that unforced errors at least in that game. Yet in a surprising turn of events, Sharapova broke the next game, Radwanska’s consistent defence breaking down, ending with a weak backhand slice into the bottom of the net.
Sharapova looked to extend the lead, but in another twist, Radwanska broke back in game six. Sharapova’s misses returned and the break was retrieved for Radwanska when Sharapova sliced a short ball into the net. Strong returning that had garnered Sharapova the original break returned, and she finally served the second set out to thirty.
Radwanska appeared to return to her normal self, holding to love in the first game of the third set, before engineering two break points from deuce in Sharapova’s next service game. Once again however, the big serve repelled the danger for Sharapova, and she held. Radwanska then crumbled, Sharapova again found her relentless groundstrokes, and broke for the final set lead. The Russian then held very comfortably to fifteen to consolidate the break.
Radwanska held once more, but it seemed that that a gulf was emerging between the two. Sharapova broke again and served for the match at five-two. But Radwanska was having none of it, and she broke to love, before holding to fifteen for five-four. Sharapova faced break points again in serving for the match, saving one with a sensational lob. A Radwanska backhand that sailed long saw the Pole’s head visibly drop.
The win for Sharapova means that she and Simona Halep are now in the best position to qualify after their opening day victories. A win for Sharapova against either Halep or Flavia Pennetta would likely see her qualify for the semi finals. Radwanska would likely need to beat both Halep and Pennetta, though the fact that she took a set means she sits in third, ahead of Pennetta in the group standings after day one.
