Russian Maria Sharapova shook off some early
struggles to roar back for her second WTA Tour title of the season.
Sharapova, the second seed here, needed a set to find a rhythm before
defeating fourth seeded Australian Alicia Molik, 4-6 6-1 6-4, to win the $600,000 Qatar Total Open.
After a dominating second set, Sharapova broke Molik in the fifth game of the
third set and rode the momentum to her ninth career WTA Tour singles title. She
saved a break point in the final game and served out for victory.
"Alicia was dictating terms to me in the first set, but in my mind I was
always positive," Sharapova said.
"In the first set, I was not playing my own game, but in the second I decided
to put some pace on the ball and put pressure on her serve and that worked."
The 17-year-old, who also won in Tokyo earlier this month, claimed the first
prize of 94,000 in this Tier II hardcourt event while running her tour winning
streak to eight matches.
It marked the third straight year the title here has gone to a Russian woman,
as Anastasia Myskina won this event the previous two years.
Improving to 3-1 in four all-time meetings with Molik, Sharapova moved to 13-1
in 14 WTA Tour matches this season. Her lone loss came against Serena Williams
in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
A final featuring the top two seeded players appeared inevitable before Molik
knocked off top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France, 7-6 (13-11) 6-1, in Friday's
semi-finals. Molik, who won in Sydney last month, was in search of her sixth
career title.
"I can safely say that the best player in the tournament won the title
here," Molik said.
Despite the setback, Molik rebounded to win the doubles title here along with
Italian Francesca Schiavone, beating the tandem of Zimbabwe's Cara Black and
South African Liezel Huber, 6-3 6-4.
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