But from the outset it was clear Sharapova was the player to beat on the day, breaking serve in the very first game of the match and, after a string of holds from both players, breaking again in the ninth game to take the first set, 6-3. Bouchard missed a backhand down the line wide on set point. It didn’t take long for the No.2-seeded Sharapova to strike again, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the second set, and a few games later she broke the No.7-seeded Bouchard one last time to close the match out. “I knew I had to play a really complete match,” Sharapova said in her post-match interview.
“She’s someone who really goes after it and goes after her strokes, so I knew that the second and third balls would be really important. I knew I had to take time away from her and be aggressive – I wanted to get in the rallies a little bit, but I also wanted to do something on my own first few shots today.” (IANS)