Maria Sharapova’s comeback has taken it’s most convincing turn yet as she stormed to a first career final since April 2015 at the Tianjen Open without the loss of a set.
The Russian’s 6-3 6-1 win over defending champion Peng Shuai took just 78 minutes, Sharapova hitting five aces in a generally one-sided performance against her world No.25 opponent.
Final!!! ???????? pic.twitter.com/lN5tkbC1FY
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) October 14, 2017
Contesting only her seventh WTA event since a 15-month drugs suspension, Sharapova has also registered wins against Irina Camelia Begu, Magda Linette and Stefanie Voegele in the coastal Chinese city.
“The finals are the stage that I want to be at and where I want to do well,” said Sharapova, whose last achieved that milestone with her 35th career title at Rome in 2015.
“It has been a long road, so this is very rewarding, but I also know I have another match to play, so as much as I want to be happy and content, I know that I have an ambitious opponent in front of me.”
That opponent is Belarusian teen Aryna Sabalenka, who also surrendered only four games as she defeated Sara Errani 6-1 6-3 to progress to a first WTA final.
“From what I have seen, she is a really good player,” Sharapova said of the world No.102 Sabalenka. “She is hungry, young [and] motivated to be in this stage of the tournament.
“It’s very flattering when someone looks up to you, but it’s also very dangerous because they want that position. They want to be the champion and no matter who you are playing in the final, both of us deserve to be at that stage. I am excited. I am excited that my first final [back] is at this event.”
Already reinstalled in the world’s top 100 at world No.86, the 30-year-old is set to break the top-70 mark with her finals run. Should she claim a 36th career title with a win over Sabalenka, Sharapova will of course rise even higher.
There’ll be an opportunity to further rebuild that ranking when Sharapova contests next week’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow, where she is drawn to face Magdalena Rybarikova in the fist round.
In Hong Kong, Australia’s Daria Gavrilova is aiming to claim a second 2017 title when she faces Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final.
The world No.22 Gavrilova was untroubled as she overcame Jennifer Brady 6-0 7-5 in the semifinal; Pavlyuchenkova, who is ranked one place higher than Gavrilova at No.21, defeated Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-4 to progress.
Barbora Strycova and Madgalena Rybarikova, seeded No. 1 and 2 respectively, meet in the final of Linz; Strycova outclassed Romanian qualifier Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3 7-6(3) while Rybaricova overcame Viktorija Golubic, 6-4 6-4 in the semifinals.
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