Sunday will see the battle between WTA No. 1 and No. 2 in Stuttgart when Victoria Azarenka faces Maria Sharapova.
Azarenka took care of business against Agnieszka Radwanska, taking out the Pole 6-1, 6-3. It’s the fifth straight time this year that Azarenka has defeated Radwanska. After the match Radwanska said she was suffering from a back injury and would head home to Poland to heal.
“Clay is not my favorite surface, but playing against same player all the time isn’t really fun,” Radwanska said.
“Every time I play her I know I have to bring out my best – in a kind of ironic way, she brings out the best in me when I play her, Azarenka said.
In the second semifinal Maria Sharapova stopped Petra Kvitova’s 27-match indoor win streak with a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over the Czech. Kvitova was not without chances – she was 1-11 on break point opportunities and head a set point in the second set which she failed to convert.
“I had a lot of chances – it was the same as in Melbourne,” said Kvitova. “At the beginning of the match I wasn’t returning well, and I think that continued in the second set. I didn’t return her serve well and I think that was the key.
“But she had good serves when she needed them and from the baseline she was so aggressive – you have to be ready because she’s very dangerous.”
For the third time in 2012, Azarenka and Sharapova will square off in a final. Azarenka won on both occasions at the Australian Open and the BNP Paribas Open, and holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against Sharapova.
PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX
Stuttgart, Germany
April 23-29, 2012
$740,000/Premier
Red Clay/Indoors
Results – Saturday, April 28, 2012
Singles – Semifinals
(1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (4) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 61 63
(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (3) Petra Kvitova (CZE) 64 76(3)
Doubles – Semifinals
Goerges/Groenefeld (GER/GER) d. (1) Peschke/Srebotnik (CZE/SLO) 64 62
(5) Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) d. Dulko/Suárez (ARG/ARG) w/o (Suárez: low back injury)
Order Of Play – Sunday, April 29, 2012
Centre Court (from 14.30hrs)
1. Doubles Final: Goerges/Groenefeld vs. Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova
2. Singles Final: Victoria Azarenka vs. Maria Sharapova (NB 18.30hrs)
