After taking ten months off to repair and recuperate her shoulder, it was amazing that Maria Sharapova was able to reach the quarterfinals of any major, much less the one that least suits her game. She had to play a series of three-set matches to get that far, and--not surprisingly--fatigue finally did her in. Dominika Cibulkova, who is quite comfortable on clay courts, defeated Sharapova 6-0, 6-2 today in Paris, and is now in the French Open semifinals.
Cibulkova had a match point at 0-5 in the second, at which point Sharapova--out of nowhere--began hitting winners. The former world number 1 saved four match points and won two games. Cibulkova hit only nine winners, but they were all she needed. She also made only nine unforced errors.
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