Although she is only 20 years old, there is a wealth of experience separating Maria Sharapova from the rest of the semifinalists at the Qatar Total Open in Doha Saturday. Sharapova is playing in her 27th career semifinal at the Tier I level or higher, having gone 14-12 in her first 26 (which includes 4-6 in majors, 2-2 in Tour Championships and 8-4 at Tier Is); she is the only player remaining to have reached even a final at the Tier I level or higher (the rest of the field is a combined 0-7 in that stat coming in, all of which have come at Tier I events - no Tour Championships or majors).
But the rest of the players in the semifinals have been upset artists in the past, including Agnieszka Radwanska, who has had five Top 10 wins already (she is only 18 years old), including over Sharapova herself at the US Open last year (she turned the tides on an eight-game, mid-match losing streak, rallying back from 2-0 down in the final set for six straight games of her own and a shock 64 16 62 win over Sharapova, who was defending champion); a rematch of that stunner will be the second match of the day at the Khalifa Tennis Complex on Saturday evening.
After injury-played 2007s, Vera Zvonareva and Li Na are within reach of Top 20 returns here; Zvonareva missed four months during the spring and summer of 2007 with a left wrist injury, and despite missing her last few events with a left ankle injury has built some solid momentum over the last six months; Li was forced out of competition during the grass court season last June due to a right rib stress fracture and didn’t return until the beginning of this year; Zvonareva and Li both have an opportunity at returning to the Top 20 - where they were before their respective injury lay-offs last year - should they win the tournament this week (see Ranking Projections).
Zvonareva has had seven Top 10 wins in her career, including two over Sharapova (beating her at 2004 Montréal when she was ranked No.8 and at 2007 Indian Wells when she was ranked No.1, her first win over a world No.1).
Li has had eight Top 10 wins in her career, including two this week (over No.6 Chakvetadze and No.4 Jankovic, both in straight sets); but, she is 0-4 lifetime against Sharapova (never winning more than four games in a set).
Li is trying to become the first Chinese to reach a Tier I singles final; she is one of three Chinese to have reached a Tier I singles semifinal, this being her third time (she was a semifinalist at 2006 Berlin and 2007 Indian Wells); the first Chinese to reach a Tier I singles semifinal was Peng Shuai (who did so at 2005 San Diego); the third to do so was Yan Zi (at 2007 Toronto); no Chinese player has ever won a Tour singles title above the Tier III level. (WTA)
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