April 01, 2011
Maria Sharapova will aim for her first tournament title since May when she faces Victoria Azarenka on Saturday.
The battle of the leggy blonde shriekers from Eastern Europe begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park.
There, on Stadium Court, eighth-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will take on 13th-ranked Maria Sharapova of Russia in the women’s final of the Sony Ericsson Open.
Both squeal with every forehand and backhand.
“I think she’s louder,’’ Azarenka said Friday, the day after she defeated Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 6-3 in a semifinal that lasted 1 hour 16 minutes. “But yeah, every time we’ve been asked about that, and, you know, there’s nothing you can do about it. … You’re going to have to wear earplugs.”
Earplugs or no earplugs, the crowd will be treated to a final between one woman (Sharapova) who played in two Sony Ericsson finals and lost both, and the other (Azarenka) who won her only Sony final — in 2009, when she upset world No.1 Serena Williams 6-3, 6-1.
“It’s really nice, the excitement here, [and] how many people come,” the 5-10, 132-pound Azarenka said. “Especially, [Saturday] is the weekend, so even more. It’s very nice fans here. I really appreciate that a lot of people are coming.”
Azarenka, 21, has five career titles, the biggest in Key Biscayne.
She is 5-6 in career finals, and 2-2 overall against the former world No.1 Sharapova. In their last meeting in the summer of 2010, Azarenka defeated Sharapova 6-4, 6-1.
I have to be aggressive,’’ Azarenka said, “try to come in myself, because that’s what she likes to do. She has big serve, big groundstrokes, so I have to try to take away this from her.’’
The Sony Ericsson opponents Azarenka has conquered en route to the final: qualifier Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 4-6, 6-0; No.25 Dominika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; No.17 Anastasia Palyuchenkova 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; No.2 Kim Clijsters 6-3, 6-3; and Zvonareva.
The opponents Sharapova has conquered: wild card Petra Martic 6-3, 6-2; wild card Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 6-0; No.4 Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-1; No.26 Alexandra Dulgheru 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5); and No.21 Andrea Petkovic 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Sharapova, 23, is 22-11 in tournament finals. She has lost three finals since winning her most recent title in Strasbourg, France, in May 2010. The 6-2, 130-pounder is projected to return to the top 10 for the first time since the 2009 Australia Open, win or lose Saturday.
After she defeated Petkovic on Thursday, Sharapova was asked what it would mean to win the Sony Ericsson.
“It would mean a lot,’’ Sharapova said. “It’s the biggest tournament after the Grand Slams. Like I said, I’m pretty fortunate to be in the finals after having a few tough ones like I had the previous rounds.
“Yeah, I look forward to going out there and getting it done.’’
Even if it will be done loudly.
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