Maria Sharapova downs Hantuchova in Stanford; says she is focussing on the little things to be more consistent
Maria Sharapova downs Hantuchova in Stanford; says she is focussing on the little things to beu00a0more consistentSecond-seeded Maria Sharapova reached the quarter-finals of the $721,000 WTA hardcourt tournament here Wednesday, setting up a possible showdown with Serena Williams.
Sharapova, ranked No 5 in the world, defeated Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to advance as she tries to build on the momentum of a runner-up finish at Wimbledon.
Russia's Maria Sharapova returns to Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova during
Wednesday's WTA hardcourt Round of 16 match in Stanford. Sharapova
won 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. PIC/AFPShe led a string of seeds into the quarter-finals as third-seeded Marion Bartoli, fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and eighth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova all advanced.
Sharapova fought her way through despite 11 double faults, finally advancing after 2 hours and 12 minutes.
Sharapova admitted she "kind of lost it" in the second set. Hantuchova built a 2-0 lead in the third set before Sharapova won four games to wrap it up.
"I was frustrated by the fact I wasn't able to maintain what I was doing into the second set," Sharapova said. "I was able to break her back and got the energy going again."
Sharapova fell in the Wimbledon final to Czech Petra Kvitova, but was encouraged that her first appearance in the All England Club final was proof that the injury-plagued years which threatened to derail her glittering career are behind her.
"It's still about improving the little things to get more consistent," Sharapova said. "I've had to make a lot of tough choices in the last year but I'm going in the right direction and, little by little, those choices are paying off."
She next faces either Williams or Russian Maria Kirilenko, who play today.
