PETE ZIEBRON
The Maria Sharapova - Simona Halep rivalry was fierce, fiesty and extremely competitive. They met for the third time in a little over two months in the 2014 Western & Southern quarterfinals.
Sharapova held a 4-0 H2H heading into the match in Cincinnati, having won the Roland Garros and Madrid finals earlier in the year, both in three sets. This match would be their first meeting on hard courts since Beijing in 2012.
An overflow crowd packed Grandstand court for the first match of the Evening Session in Cincinnati and at least thirty Romanian flags greeted Halep as the players arrived on court. Halep took the opening set 6-3 but was never able to get a stranglehold on the match.
My vantage point was in the photo pit opposite the Chair and directly below the Sharapova camp, where coach Sven Groenfeld kept urging on his charge over and over with "You were made for this" shouts and reminders. Sharapova must have agreed and she was able to win the following two sets 6-4 6-4 to advance to the semifinals.
Following the match, both players expounded on the occasion:
Sharapova on changing tactics in the second and third sets: "I think just getting myself in the point and making her realize that I'm there, that my presence is someone there instead of giving her so many looks on second serves and giving her so many easy points, having the opportunity to move in."
Sharapova on facing a crowd more in favor of her opponent: "Yeah, I'm very used to that. I've been on the tour for so many years to face against opponents that have small support groups that come out with bells and whistles and the circus act and all of that.
I'm very well‑prepared and I use that to my advantage. I use that to get energy as opposed to getting angry, and that's worked really well for me in my career."
Halep on the second and third sets: "I think this second set for sure I made a step behind the baseline and was a mistake.
Then in the third set I wanted just to stay aggressive. Now I don't know if I did this, but for sure she played really well. She was hitting the ball really strong. I made few mistakes, easy mistakes.
But I am okay. I played well, and I'm happy with the way I played today. So I have just to looking forward for the next one."
Halep on what she will need to do the next time they play: "I think it's about experience. Maybe you saw the match. At the important moments she was hitting the ball very strong. Maybe she's doing this every time and now it's working.
I was a little bit nervous at 4‑3 for me. But, you know, I need experience. I need more matches, and then maybe I will play better in this moment. I feel okay. The match was good.
I just want to forget it and to take another one, the next one."
Sharapova and Halep would play four more times, with the Russian winning the next two matches and Halep the last two for a final H2H of 7-2 in favor of Sharapova.
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