Maria Sharapova came back from a set and 1-3 down against Ana Ivanovic to win the Premier 5 Stuttgart title. It was Sharapova’s 13th consecutive win at the event, her third title there in a row, and her 30th career trophy.
For the first set and a half it looked like Ivanovic was ready to reassert herself at the top of the game. Ivanovic’s forehand worked its magic as she fought through consecutive deuce games to take a 5-0 lead in the first set against an error prone Sharapova. But as Ana served for the first set, Maria fought back to 3-5, saving a set point along the way.
Serving to stay in the first set proved to be too much for Sharapova however. Ivanovic earned another set point with a forehand cross-court passing shot winner on the run. The Serbian did not have to work so hard though to seal the set as Sharapova hit a cross-court backhand out.
In the second set, a confident Ivanovic hit a forehand down the line winner for 2-1 and then broke Sharapova to take a set and a break lead. That would not prove to be enough though against a player of the competitive spirit of the Russian. Listening to her coach Sven Groenveld’s words at the changeover of ‘you’re playing for a fricking title’, Sharapova upped the ante on her aggression and shots which had previously gone long were now clipping the lines.
None more crucial than at 2-3, 30-40 down. Sharapova hit a second serve punished by Ana with a thumping return to her backhand but Sharapova slid into the ball and hit a winner down the line.
As Sharapova’s grunts got heavier so did her strokes as she broke back and then took control of the set, breaking Ana at 3-3 and then holding her serve to lead 5-3.
While Ana stopped the rut to win her service game for 5-4, Sharapova served out for the set. A drive forehand volley brought her set point and a netted return from Ana sealed the deal, leveling the match at a set all.
Sharapova was now relentlessly on the attack, getting the short balls she desired and driving them away for winners. A forehand winner on the return, her 21st of the match, and Sharapova took an early break in the third to lead 1-0.
Ivanovic stayed calm, hitting some forehand winners of her famed wing to hold for 1-2, but the tension boiled over as she had animated discussions with her coach on the changeover.
Sharapova though was anything but stressed. The two time defending champion was now playing like one while the pressure told on Ivanovic who double faulted down break point at 1-3.
Sharapova’s movement, timing and confidence now high, she held 3 championship points at 5-1. Sharapova errorred on the backhand on the first one, but on the second one she got just what she wanted. Ivanovic served out wide to her forehand side and Sharapova slid into the shot and blasted a winning return.
Sharapova’s comeback in the final completes her comeback from injury last September. Her form since then had seen her fall to ninth in the rankings, but this win should restore her self-belief on a surface she is currently the active player with the highest winning percentage on and on which she has only lost to Serena Williams the last two seasons.
Whether or not this win will give Sharapova any confidence the next time she meet Williams remains to be seen. But for now the title proves Sharapova is back and the fight and resilience she has shown against Safarova in the first round and Ivanovic in the final will send out a warning to her rivals she is back and ready to fight. A worrying warning, indeed.
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