Russia's Maria Sharapova beat Japan's Ai Sugiyama 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon today.
The 17-year-old's win ended Sugiyama's hopes of becoming only the second Asian woman in the Open era to reach the semi-finals at the Championships. In 1996, Sugiyama's compatriot Kimiko Date reached the semis.
The pivotal point of the opening set came when Sugiyama broke Sharapova's serve for the first time to take a 6-5 lead. The Russian hung her head slightly through the next game and her opponent capitalised, serving for the set and taking it when a Sharapova backhand return failed.
Sharapova finally converted a break point, her eighth of the match, to move to 4-2 in the second set. But Sugiyama, the 28-year-old 11th seed replied immediately with a break of her own to draw closer at 4-3. Sugiyama saved two more break points to win the following game and square the set at 4-4.
Sharapova earned three break points while leading 6-5 and, while Sugiyama saved one of them, she sent a backhand long on the following point, allowing her 17-year-old opponent to take the set and force a decider.
The Russian then came out firing and never looked like losing. "I'm speechless right now really," Sharapova said immediately after her win. All the hard work, all the sacrifices in life, it's just amazing."
Filed by Barry J Whyte
