SHARAPOVA SUFFERS SHOCK DEFEAT AT DFS CLASSIC
Two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova was sensationally
defeated at the DFS Classic today, ending her 13 match win
streak at the Edgbaston Priory Club. Fellow 19 year old American
sensation Jamea Jackson stunned the top seed winning 6-4,6-4
in 1 hour and 33 mins.
Today’s defeat was only the fourth time Sharapova has
lost a match on grass during her short career. Jackson was
also the lowest ranked player to defeat the Russian since
August 2004.
Sunday’s final will be Jackson’s first ever final
on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The world number 81, originally
from Atlanta, Georgia, shocked Sharapova with a series of
stunning backhand winners.
“She was on top of her game and got on a roll from
the beginning,” said Sharapova. “I was ready for
a tough match as all of our previous matches had been tough.
These things happen. Sometimes you come out and your opponent
plays really well and you feel a bit flat.”
“I grew up with Jamea. We played together at Bolletieri’s.
She has always been a really promising player,” added
Sharapova. “I’ll be back here next year. I’ve
been here for the last four years now, so I guess there’s
no reason to change my plans.”
Sharapova was the fourth seed that Jackson has removed this
week on route to the final. She started off by removing 10th
seed Klara Koukalova in round one, Britain’s Sarah Borwell
in round two, last year’s runner up and 8th seed Jelena
Jankovic in round three and 4th seed Elena Likhovtseva in
the quarter finals.
“It’s been a dream week for me. I’m still
in shock,” said an emotional Jackson following victory.
“I have no idea how I did it. I just played as aggressively
as I could and fought hard for each point.”
“This is by far the biggest win of my career as I’ve
never beaten a top ten player before. I just love grass so
everything is going perfect for me. I hope I can keep it up
for the final.”
In the final she will face unseeded Russian Vera Zvonareva.
The world 78 defeated good friend and American qualifier Meilen
Tu 5-7,6-4,6-3. Tu led by a set and 4-2 before the 21 year
old came storming back to win six games in a row and complete
victory in 2 hours and 8 mins.
“It was a great match,” said Zvonareva. “I’m
so happy to win as I was down so much in the second set. I
just had to keep fighting.”
This will be the first encounter between Jackson and Zvonareva.
The Russian is into her first final since Auckland in January
and was ranked as high as number nine back in August 2004.
There was also a special presentation on court today to mark
the 25th anniversary of the DFS Classic at the Edgbaston Priory
Club. Donna Kelso of Sony Ericsson WTA Tour presented the
club with a specially engraved silver tray to mark the anniversary.
The presentation party included Ann Jones, who was one of
the founders of the tournament in 1982 and Martina Navratilova,
who won the event in 1989 and 1991.
The first champion, Billie Jean King, sent a special message
of congratulations.
“Birmingham has always been such a special place for
me because it was the last tournament I won. I was 39 years
old and I beat the young kids. It was a great feeling,”
said King.
“Early in the tournament week, the organisers showed
me the Maud Watson Trophy and being such a fan of history,
I was touched by the significance of the tribute to Maud.
I kept thinking that this would be a great one to win and
in doing so, Birmingham became a very fitting setting for
my last championship.”
Sunday’s action begins at 2:00pm with the singles final,
followed by the ladies doubles final between the unseeded
teams of Leizel Huber of South Africa and American Jill Craybas
against Serbian Jelena Jankovic and Na Li of China.
The main draw of the DFS Classic will run between 12th and
18th June at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham
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