WTA Reviews: Sharapova Queen of Clay After Stuttgart?

Sharapova Queen of Clay After Stuttgart?

Queen of Clay? Former No. 1 Maria Sharapova is gunning for the title after a stellar 2012 clay season that saw her win the French Open title, and a 2013 season that has started with the Stuttgart claycourt title.
ADHEREL

On Sunday the Russian defeated fellow French Open title winner Li Na 6-4, 6-3 for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix crown in Stuttgart, Germany.

“She was the second seed and someone who I had lost to the last time we played, and obviously she was fresher than me going into the final, so I knew it would be the toughest match of the tournament,” Sharapova said. “I really tried to do the right things from the beginning to the end and not have a letdown like I did in the other matches.”

Sharapova has now won 16 straight matches on clay, including Rome and Roland Garros last year. Li fell to 7-10 in career finals.

Schiavone Back with WTA Marrakech Title

Some have accused Francesca Schiavone of phoning it in since her French Open championship in 2010, but the Italian showed she still has championship range on Sunday, defeating Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Marrakech, Morocco.

“This was a great week for me after a long, very difficult period,” said Schiavone after winning her sixth career title and first of 2013. “I think my two toughest matches of the week were my first match against [Petra] Martic, a very talented young player, and of course today against Lourdes…To win here is a great start to the claycourt season for me and inspires me to keep working hard.”

Dom�nguez Lino dropped to 2-1 in finals.