(Rank/Seed)
I felt this match deserved a post all of its own! What started as a relatively innocuous second round match, turned into an epic which will be tough to better this tournament.
(3/3) Sharapova outlasted Italian, Knapp 63 46 108 in a match lasting 3 hours 28 minutes when on court temperatures measured an alarming 41 degrees Celsius! The first two sets saw Sharapova blow a 63 3-1 lead as Knapp rallied with some heavy hitting, breaking to love in the 10th game.
Though play was suspended elsewhere due to the heat, the two had started the third set so were forced to finish it, outdoors! Sharapova led 3-1 and 5-3, holding 3 match points serving at 5-4. Knapp saved 2 with fearless hitting and broke back. Both players had struggled with their serve; Sharapova served 12 double faults (Knapp 9), both frequently aborted ball tosses and Knapp struggled to hold from the non sunny end and vice versa. However, despite the conditions, both players commendably held their serve for the next 6 games until Sharapova finally made the winning breakthrough. Still, she had to overcome further serving difficulties as she hit 3 doubles faults in the last game before converting her 4th match point when Knapp hit a backhand long.
Both players were given a standing ovation, not only due to the powerful ball striking exhibited throughout but also because neither player complained about the heat once nor showed any signs of intentional stalling or fatigue. A class performance from both women!
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