My educated guess is that most tennis fans expected Justine Henin to emerge the victor when she and Maria Sharapova concluded their third round match at the French Open. They would have been correct--but they might not have anticipated that Henin would have to fight so hard in the final set to get the victory. Sharapova--struggling to regain her status on the tour, and known for being vulnerable on clay--put in a performance of which she should be quite proud.
Down 0-2, 0-40, Henin saved four break points, and took over the momentum, only to have it taken back by Sharapova. The wind blew around them, and the cool weather kept the balls heavy, as both women fought to maintain control of the rallies. Henin walked away with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 score, and a round of 16 meeting with 7th seed Sam Stosur.
Sharapova has steadily gotten better as time moves on this year. She had a setback with the arm bruise but came back determined. The win at Strasbourg probably helped too.
ReplyDeleteI like when these two play. Different styles. Most of all I like the respect they show for each other as they have matured. They know the other is a true competitor. Both Henin and Sharapova went after the win, not content to just wait for the other to make a mistake.
It was a good match, and yes--both players really went after it. It was a pleasure to watch. It's odd to think that the French Open is where Maria "came back," but she just seemed to come into her own again in Paris, despite losing to Justine.
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