Sharapova falls at the final hurdle again

Agnieszka Radwanska claimed her second title of the season with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Maria Sharapova at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Radwanska, the fifth seed, needed one hour and 44 minutes to seal her triumph. The Pole, who also took the title in Dubai earlier in 2012, will now move up to a career-high position of four in the world rankings. It was a victory Radwanska founded on her own serve. Second seed Sharapova, who has now lost all four of her final appearances at the Miami event, failed to break once in the match. Radwanska was content to keep the ball in play and wait for Sharapova to make the first mistake. It proved a shrewd tactic as the Russian committed 45 unforced errors in all.

"I got a lot of good wins this year against top players," said Radwanska, who is now 26-4 for the year, all four defeats coming against world number one Victoria Azarenka. "I was trying from the beginning to focus on my serve, put my first serve in and go for it. "I think I did a really good job today and the se

rve was the key."

Maria Sharapova is through to the final of Sony Ericsson Open after coming through a tough three-set match with Caroline Wozniacki.

 

The world number two has yet to win a tournament this year, after losing in the final of both the Australian Open and the BNP Paribas Open to world number one Victoria Azarenka.

But she will not have to face the Belarusian this time around and will instead play fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the final after the Pole beat Azarenka's conqueror, Marion Bartoli, in straight sets.

Sharapova looked like she would take the opening set from Wozniacki, after racing to a 4-1 lead, only for the Dane to reel off five games in a row before taking the set.

However the Russian bounced back to claim the second with ease before coming through a hard-fought final set to run out a 4-6 6-2 6-4 winner in two hours and 34 minutes.

It was a roller-coaster of a match in Miami and Sharapova was delighted that she was able to bounce back after the dramatic loss of the opening set.

"I'm really pleased that after losing that first one, being up and playing really well and then backing off and her stepping up, I could have easily just (gone) down in the second set," she told www.sonyericssonopen.com.

"But I really stepped it up again. I went out there and started being aggressive. I didn't stop after I put myself in a good position. I'm extremely pleased that I pulled it out today."

Sharapova has a 7-1 winning career record over Radwanska and suffered her only defeat at the 2007 US Open.

WTA - BNP Paribas Open : 12BET odds Marina Erakovic (NZL) Vs Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 3/8 3AM GMT+8

Marina Erakovic so far int he season, but she failed to impress until the tournament in Memphis started. It seems that she really liked those indoor conditions, because she was performing well there, getting all the way to the finals, but lost there to Arvidsson. Still, we have to mention that players which she defated on her way were not top quality.

Voskoboeva several times last season and I know that she can perform on very high level, but inconsistency with her games is her main problem, imho. So far this season, her best result was 3rd round at Australian open, but she haven't played since she retired from first round match on tournament in Pattaya (1 month ago).

ATP - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (Set Handicap): 12BET odds Andy Murray (GBR) vs Michael Berrer (GER) 2/28 6PM GMT+8

Murray is playing strong. The English player made Djokovic work really hard at the Australian Open. Before the Grand Slam he won the tournament of Brisbane.
.

Berrer came through the qualifications by beating Ito in two tie breaks. He is doing well, reaching the semi final at Zagreb, but Murray is just too tough I expect. Murray wants to finish it quickly, he will not give a set away.

Roddick forced out

Australian star progresses after Roddick injury

Home favourite Lleyton Hewitt is through to the third round of this year's Australian Open after Andy Roddick quit their contest.

Roddick took the first set of the battle of the former world number ones but he soon fell behind in the second following a stumble and it soon became apparent he had a problem with his leg.

At 3-0 down, the four-time Melbourne semi-finalist left the court for treatment.

When he returned, the 15th seed battled on gamely, but Hewitt's relentless chasing style is not suited to anyone carrying an injury and when the Aussie took the third set, Roddick decided it was time to call it a day.

The score was 3-6 6-3 6-4 at the time.

"It was a nightmare for both of us,'' said Hewitt.

"Obviously Andy stretched something and it's hard to concentrate for the player up the other end.

"Andy is such a great fighter so you know when he is struggling. - http://www1.skysports.com/

The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is the longest-running ATP World Tour tennis tournament in Asia, first held in 1973. A combined ATP World Tour and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, it is played at Ariake Colosseum, which is an enormous tennis centre consisting of 48 tennis courts and a stadium with one of the first retractable roofs in tennis

.