ИУ: Полуфинал Мария - Ана

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Игра Марии и Аны до снятия Аны была оценена очень высоко.

It′s not often we react to a retirement, but I′m making an exception for tonight′s second women′s semifinal. Because for nearly a set, we saw the WTA′s answer to the awe-inspiring, high-profile, you′ve-got-to-see-this-even-if-you-don′t-watch-tennis play put forth by the majordomos of the ATP for well over a year. And it didn′t even involve the tour′s top-ranked, unbeaten star, Victoria Azarenka, who earlier in the evening beat Angelique Kerber to win her 22nd match of 2012 and reach the Indian Wells final.

What Azarenka saw, if she was done with her media commitments and watching this match, was some of the most fearless hitting of this entire tournament. Ivanovic brought out the same artillery she used against Caroline Wozniacki, only this time, her opponent actually replied in kind. Sharapova swung like she looks: Serious. And not just with her forehand, making for rallies that left the winner in doubt until a winner—often an authoritative one—was struck. There were breaks of serve, as you might expect from these two, but the sky-high quality of play made up for it. Their first match since the 2008 Australian Open final was unquestionably worth the wait.

Ed McGrogan

http://blogs.tennis.com/racquet_reaction/2012/03/indian-wells-sharapova-d-ivanovic.html