It was Sharapova's first title in Zurich, after she finished as runner-up to Alicia Molik in 2004.

The victory, achieved with the loss of just one set all week, added to the Indian Wells, San Diego and U.S. titles she earned earlier this year.

Although the second-seeded Russian will remain at number three in the rankings next week behind Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne, the win boosted her chances of ending the season as world number one.

Despite her defeat, Hantuchova's ranking will improve next week from 22 to an expected 16.

Sharapova was far more aggressive than Hantuchova in the opening set, especially with her returns, and she pressured the Slovak from the start.

Hantuchova had to hold off three break points in the first game and then dropped her serve to love, hitting consecutive double-faults, to fall behind 2-1.

Sharapova continued to dominate, breaking Hantuchova to love a second time while winning 15 of 16 points to establish a 4-1 lead. The Russian broke for a third time to take the set when Hantuchova netted a forehand.

UNFORCED ERRORS

After calling her mother to court as her coach, allowed under rules being tried out in Zurich, Hantuchova was far more positive in the second set, breaking Sharapova for 1-0.

Sharapova's efforts were more muted in the second set. She made considerably more unforced errors and failed to win a break point to level at 4-4 when she netted a tired forehand.

Hantuchova fought off five break points at 5-4 to take the match to a deciding set.

"It was weird having a little letdown in the second set, at the beginning," Sharapova told reporters. "I had opportunities to break her again but I couldn't really take them and in the last game to win the second set she served pretty well on the big points.

"But, saying that, I gave it to her in the first game. I felt like I had the chances but wasn't converting them, and finally in the third set I did."

Sharapova once more showed some of the aggression that had served her well in the first set and although she failed to take advantage of two break points at 1-0 she broke to lead 3-1 when Hantuchova netted a forehand.

That was enough to decide the match, which Sharapova closed out with consecutive aces.

"In the first set I think I was trying a little bit too much," said Hantuchova. "It was my first final for a while and I was maybe a little too excited and after the first set I tried to calm down and think more about what I had to do to come back to the match.

"I thought it was a very good match. I felt like I had my chances but I have to give Maria credit for the way she closed the match out, especially in the last game. She served very, very well. I tried to hang in there and do whatever it took to still come back, but she was putting a lot of pressure on me."

Better on the biggest points all night, the third-seeded Sharapova beat No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open final Saturday to add a follow-up championship to her breakthrough title at Wimbledon in 2004.

"I experienced it two years ago, and I knew that I wasn't done," Sharapova said. "I had a lot more in me."

What Sharapova had on this night was a lot more force on nearly every shot, from groundstrokes to serves to returns. She faced only one break point all match, broke Henin-Hardenne three times, and compiled a 20-15 edge in winners.

"She's been a real fighter tonight," said Henin-Hardenne, who would have moved up to No. 1 with a victory. "The better player won tonight."

Quite a concession from the Belgian, who leads the tour this season in matches won (54), Grand Slam matches won (25) and tournament titles (five). She was the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach a year's four major finals.

"She didn't give me a lot of opportunities," Henin-Hardenne said.

The only times Sharapova lost her composure came after Henin-Hardenne put a forehand into the net to end the match.

First, Sharapova dropped to her knees and covered her face. Then she hopped up and down, giggling — like the teenager she is. Then she tried to climb through the stands to hug her father, Yuri, and hitting partner, Mike Joyce, but got lost, and needed guidance from an usher. When she hoisted the trophy overhead, its lid fell off.

And then came her at-times petulant postmatch news conference, which Sharapova began by saying, "Let's make this a positive session tonight, please. Por favor." She got into a bit of a testy exchange with reporters who asked about the apparent signals sent by Yuri and Joyce about when to eat bananas or sip drinks at changeovers (coaching isn't allowed).

All of which led to a sentence that it's fair to say had never been uttered by a Grand Slam champion. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana," Sharapova said.

"It's not about what I wear. It's not about the friends that I have. My career right now is about winning a tennis match. And right now, I'm sitting here as a U.S. Open champion, and the last thing I think people need to worry about is a banana."

She became an immediate endorsement darling after her out-of-nowhere triumph at the All England Club at age 17. But then, on the court, she kept coming oh-so-close at Slams without producing title No. 2. She lost five consecutive major semifinals until beating No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo on Friday. Now Sharapova is only the eighth woman to beat the players ranked Nos. 1 and 2 at the same Grand Slam tournament.

"I think she felt a little pressure. People were talking like she didn't have her Slam," Joyce said. "It was just a matter of time. I think she had to prove to herself that she could do it."

If that's so, she proved it to everyone under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Two games into the final, a man's voice came from the sellout crowd of 23,712, screaming the tag line from Sharapova's oft-played current TV ad: "I feel pretty!" In the commercial, that tune is sung by various people as Sharapova walks out onto court. The punch line: Sharapova swings her racket and lets out one of her trademark shrieks.

Those high-pitched screams were muted at the start of the match, but within a few games, Sharapova was wailing as loudly as ever. Not that Henin-Hardenne was silent, punctuating winners with, "Allez!"

Sharapova won the coin toss and elected to receive, then went out and stood right at the baseline while Henin-Hardenne hit practice serves at the end of the warmup session. Picture Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter taking batting practice against Red Sox starter Curt Schilling — it just doesn't happen in other sports.

Perhaps Sharapova noticed something, because she immediately earned two break points in the opening game. Henin-Hardenne saved both, then broke for a 2-0 edge with the aid of two double-faults by Sharapova, who never faced another break point.

But Sharapova broke right back, helped by the shot of the evening: a half-volley drop winner to close a 10-stroke exchange. That was enough to claim the first set.

With the outcome still in doubt at 3-3 in the second set, Sharapova won eight of nine points to break Henin-Hardenne for the third time — yelling "Come on!" as she ran to the changeover — then hold for a 5-3 edge.

"Come on!" from someone born in Siberia? Well, Sharapova has made her home in Florida since she was 7. After calling her mom with a cell phone while waiting for the trophy ceremony, Sharapova leaned forward in her chair and said, "This is crazy!"

During her comments to the crowd, Sharapova thanked Billie Jean King for her work for women in tennis, including for equal prize money. Sharapova earned $1.7 million with her victory, although she makes far more from endorsement deals than prize money.

Clearly, she finds more gratification in trophies.

"You can't buy a Grand Slam title, you know?" Sharapova said. "You can't buy it."

She's still only 19 and has two. After the singles final ended, Martina Navratilova, who's 49, collected her 59th Grand Slam title by teaming with Bob Bryan to win the mixed doubles final 6-2, 6-3 over Kueta Peschke and Martin Damm.

"See, if you play long enough, good things happen," Navratilova said. "I should know."

http://www.santabanta.com/newsmaker.asp?select=1597&catname=Newsmaker

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- Maria Sharapova outslugged an erratic Kim Clijsters 7-5, 7-5 Sunday to win the championship of the Acura Classic.

The second-seeded Sharapova won with breaks in the final game of each set, including the only break of the second set, and snapped Clijster's 24-match winning streak in North American summer hardcourt events.

The title was Sharapova's first since winning at Indian Wells in March, and the 12th of her career. It was also the first time the Russian defeated Clijsters, a former No. 1, in five matches.

"There's not a lot things not to like about my game," said Sharapova, ranked No. 4. "I played a pretty solid five players and came out with two-set wins in each one. It gives me confidence and I feel like I'm match tough again."

The last time Clijsters lost on North American summer hardcourts was here last year in the quarterfinals. Since then she has won four straight summer hardcourt tournaments, including last year at Los Angeles, Toronto and the U.S. Open for her only major title. Clijsters added the Bank of the West Classic title last week at Stanford, Calif.

The top-seeded Clijsters, who previously announced her plans to retire at the end of the 2007 season, was still hampered by a bad back in the finals. Clijsters, ranked No. 2, began to consistently miss her shots as the second set wore on.

"It was tough out there," she said. "I fought. I tried to go for everything when I was down but was not good enough. After long points, it was hard to refocus for the next shot. I didn't feel that fresh."

Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, and Clijsters played one incredibly long point with Sharapova serving for the first set at 6-5. The point featured a number of outstanding shots and saves on both sides before Sharapova drove a forehand into the net. The crowd erupted into a prolonged standing ovation as both players struggled to catch their breath.

"I still feel it. I was too tired to keep my eyes open," Clijsters said.

"I can't talk about it," joked Sharapova. "I get dizzy thinking about it. It was basically survival."

Sharapova closed out the set four points later when Clijsters netted a forehand.

After the players combined for seven service breaks in the first set, Clijsters held the only service breaks in the final set until the last game. The Belgian failed to convert on one break in the first game, three breaks in the seventh game and two more in the ninth game.

"I think she made a few good first serves," Clijsters said. "On a couple of second serves, I missed. I tried to go for it a little bit too soon."

Sharapova, who failed to serve at the level she did in her semifinal-round win over Patty Schnyder, broke through in the 12th game of the second set with the only service break for either player in the second set to end the 1 hour, 48-minute match.

"I knew that I had to be physically and mentally ready or I was going down," said Sharapova, who earned $196,00 for the victory.

Clijsters, who won $100,000, became the ninth player to surpass $14 million in career earnings.

source: Yahoo Sports

Updated on Sunday, Aug 6, 2006 8:51

  ]]> http://arsenal31.i.ph/blogs/arsenal31/?p=9 http://arsenal31.i.ph/blogs/arsenal31/?p=9#comments Sun, 09 Jul 2006 20:18:34 +0000 arsenal31 http://arsenal31.i.ph/blogs/arsenal31/?p=9 MOOD: OVERWHELMED!!!

I'm posting this article by Quinito Henson because I know how memorable it is for Arriba members to know that our JOHN make it to the RP Team. Not all players are given the chance to play for your country. Yes! not all players are given the opportunity to wear a jersey with a logo of their national flag..but John did that! Congratulations."I know it's been your dream since you were a rookie. I am so happy for you John.. With your willingness to play for the Philippine Team, you once again prove that you deserve all our support and love. Even if you're supposed to be in US visiting your Mom, you still opted to go to Taiwan and play for the Jones Cup. Again, CONGRATULATIONS!" 

  ]]> http://arsenal31.i.ph/blogs/arsenal31/?p=8 http://arsenal31.i.ph/blogs/arsenal31/?p=8#comments Sun, 09 Jul 2006 10:48:12 +0000 arsenal31 http://arsenal31.i.ph/blogs/arsenal31/?p=8 I just checked the internet and I found out that MaSha lost to Amelei MAuresmo in their semifinal match for Wimbledon...another sorry lost for MaSha..when will she able to get her second grandslam? Wimbledon is her favorite event pa naman..Anyway, she's still young, im sure she will get it next time..Still Congrats MASHA! you did a great job!

Change MOOD! yung happy naman! John made it to the RP Team. YES! he is one of those players who are in Taiwan right now participating in the Jones Cup!Congratulations JA! I know it's been your dream to make it to the national, you know given the chance to wear that jersey with the Philippine flag logo..syempre, all of us in Arriba are very happy of what he has accomplished. Not all players are given the chance to play for your country..thank GOD! Call  it overacting or whatever, I almost cried out of happiness when I found it...damn! I wasn't able to rehearse how I will react! Btw, I know Mom Arigo is very proud of him..Congrats to you also MOM and daddy manny and to ate kara. 

Continue soaring MaSha!

About Dirk naman, well I haven't heard about him yet. The last time I read about him is that he cut his hair again, coz it's summer already in the States. And also, people are comparing the NBA first round draft pick to him. The guys is Italian, I forgot his name btw. He's also a 7-footer and shoot treys like Dirk. Pretty interesting, right?

But for me, there can only be one Dirk Nowitzki, the best European player in the NBA today.