Pennetta beats Radwanska to keep WTA Finals hopes alive
SINGAPORE — Maria Sharapova continued her mastery of Romania’s Simona Halep with a high quality 6-4, 6-4 victory filled with bruising baseline rallies to edge closer to a last four berth at the WTA Finals Tuesday.
The Russian world No. 4 topped the Red Group at the eight women end-of-season finals with her second win and next faces US Open champion Flavia Pennetta, who said she would retire after the tournament, with a semifinal spot on the line.
The 33-year-old Italian had earlier kept alive her WTA Finals bid with a flurry of backhand winners as she downed a strapped up and fatigued Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (5), 6-4 to leave the Pole bottom of the standings with two defeats.
It was Pennetta’s first win in the group — she was blown away by top seed Halep 6-0, 6-3 in her opener Sunday — with her backhand proving a particularly devastating weapon at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Sharapova’s win over the Romanian means all four players in the group still hold hopes of grabbing one of two semifinal spots available and Pennetta said she had been impressed by the Russian, who has been hit with injury problems since Wimbledon.
Sharapova edged Radwanska over three tough sets Sunday but showed no willingness to go the distance again Tuesday in a ferocious baseline battle against the top seeded Halep.
Both players traded early breaks with neither enjoying an easy ride on serve before five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova secured the set by breaking Halep, runner-up here last year, for a second time at 5-4.
The 28-year-old Russian, who had won all five previous matches against Halep, was controlling the bulk of the rallies from the center of the court with some rangy defensive work also causing the Romanian angst.
Sharapova broke Halep again in a lengthy second game of the second set and some blistering winners from both sides of the court allowed her to open up a 5-1 lead.
She looked set to serve out the match before her double fault demons returned as she was broken from 30-15 up and then lost her next service game as Halep fought back to be on serve.
Her recovery, though, was quickly ended by the shrieking Sharapova who broke in the next game to seal the match with a bruising backhand before letting out a roar of approval.
Hewitt Australia Davis Cup captain
Retiring two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt has been confirmed as Australia’s Davis Cup captain.
Hewitt, who helped Australia break into this year’s Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 2003, will take over from Wally Masur, who was interim captain after Pat Rafter quit the role earlier in the season.
Hewitt faces a delicate task managing Australia’s stable of rising talents, which includes the combustible duo of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios, both of whom have strained relations with the sport’s national governing body and the public.
“For me, it’s about instilling my experience in these younger guys,” the 34-year-old told reporters in Melbourne Tuesday.
Hewitt’s playing career draws to a close after the next Australian Open in January and he retires with two Davis Cup titles in 1999 and 2003 and the record as his country’s most prolific singles winner in the team-based tournament.
His first tie in charge will be at home against the United States in March.
