A Noisy Semifinal Ahead as Sharapova and Azarenka Advance By JUDY BATTISTA Published: June 5, 2013 PARIS — Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic have been battling each other since they were girls, after they were plucked from their homes and settled at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida to be turned into champions. Their relationship can be diplomatically described as frosty, and Jankovic has long existed in the considerable shadow of the more successful Sharapova. But on Wednesday, Jankovic pushed Sharapova as far as she could before Sharapova prevailed, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the French Open semifinals. Sharapova is known as one of the best fighters in the game, but this was the first time in her career that she had failed to win a game in the first set but won a match. On Thursday, Sharapova, the defending champion, will face third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who had an easier time dismissing Maria Kirilenko, 7-6 (3), 6-2, to advance to her first semifinal at Roland Garros. Viewers on Thursday should bring earplugs. The semifinal figures to be a highly competitive and earsplitting match, given the players’ notable reputations not only as powerful ball-strikers but also as the game’s most high-pitched shriekers. Azarenka wore a T-shirt to her postmatch news conference that read “Accept No Limits.” Perhaps that was a warning about the decibel level, too. Jankovic came the closest to silencing one of the tournament favorites. This has been a notably upset-free tournament. Serena Williams, the No. 1 seed and heavy favorite, will play fifth-seeded Sara Errani in the other semifinal Thursday. But Jankovic, a six-time Grand Slam tournament semifinalist whose only final was at the 2008 United States Open, looked as if she would ease her way to an upset after less than a half-hour on the court. Jankovic is seeded 18th here, but from the beginning of the match she read Sharapova’s serve well and was able to apply pressure. Sharapova began the match with a confounding demonstration of the full catalog of unforced errors. Her shots were millimeters wide, inches too long or straight into the net. As she struggled to find her range she committed 20 unforced errors in all, many of them followed by a glare. Jankovic closed out the set, fittingly, when a Sharapova forehand went wide. But the first point of the second set was an indication of what was to come. Sharapova hit a topspin lob that floated over Jankovic’s head and landed cleanly in, so perfectly placed that even Jankovic applauded. That was probably the last time Jankovic felt so generous. When Jankovic double-faulted to lose the first game of the second set, Sharapova was clearly back in the match, and Jankovic began her routine of screaming to family members in the stands whenever a shot went awry. “That was really important,” Sharapova said of the beginning of the second set. “You know, at least give her something to think about. She was a bit in cruise control for a long period of time. Well, actually not that long, but for six games straight.” Even Jankovic marveled at some of the ground strokes Sharapova began rifling in the second and third sets, including a crosscourt backhand that Jankovic described as a cross between a drop shot and a sharply angled shot. “I don’t know how she does that, but it was an amazing shot,” Jankovic said. Azarenka and Kirilenko have played doubles together and have a much warmer relationship than the day’s other pairing. Azarenka said the familiarity with each other’s games was why the first set was so tight. But as soon as Azarenka seized the tiebreaker, she was in command of the match. As thrilled as Azarenka was to reach her first semifinal in Paris, the first 10 days of the tournament have felt largely like a competition for who gets to be cannon fodder for Williams in Saturday’s final. She has favorable records against the remaining women, and even her quarterfinal victim, Svetlana Kuznetsova, said it would be a big surprise if Williams lost. Williams will again be the favorite over the 5-foot-4 Errani, who was overpowered by Sharapova in the final last year and who will be at a significant size and strength disadvantage. Errani has never beaten Williams in five career meetings. Sharapova and Azarenka have played well enough during the tournament to be considered threats to Williams. They have played 12 times, with Azarenka winning seven. The last time they played on clay was last year in Stuttgart, Germany, where Sharapova won in straight sets. Around that time, when she was asked about how she felt about playing on clay — her weakest surface — Azarenka said she was not yet married to the clay. On Wednesday, her semifinal secured, Azarenka joked that her relationship with clay was at least heading in the right direction, requiring constant care and tending, and most of all, continued love. “I still don’t have any ring on my finger,” she said with a smile. “But I feel like, you know, we made a step forward. We are moving in together. Kind of that type of a relationship is, you know, moving forward and see what happens after.”
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:19:34 +0000
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