Surprise Washington to Face Sharapova in WTA Tokyo Final
Posted on October 9, 2004
After spending the majority of her nine-year career slogging through challenger and futures-level events, American Mashona "Little Sis" Washington is suddenly en fuego.
On Friday at the WTA stop in Tokyo, the unseeded Washington outlasted (7) Klara "Kouky" Koukalova 6-2 in the third, and in the final will face the top-seeded Maria Sharapova who cruised past Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2, 6-3.
With a typhoon approaching Tokyo, the Ariake Colosseum roof was closed.
"I live in Florida and we've been through a lot this year," Sharapova said. "Obviously, it would be nicer to play with the roof open but you can't control the weather."
Washington is the younger sister of former Wimbledon runner-up MaliVai Washington.
Sharapova, who is looking for her second consecutive chance to whip out her cell phone after Seoul last week, leads Washington 2-1 but lost their last meeting earlier this year at New Haven.
Saturday's doubles semifinals will be Americans Hopkins/Washington vs. Japan's Fujiwara/Obata, and Asagoe/Srebotnik vs. Stewart/Stosur.
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