Stunning final with Justine’s name allover it. Although it was a very close match, Amélie seemed not to be as sharp as yesterday. The 1st set started with 2 breakpoints for Justine, but Amélie getting away with it.

At 1-1 Justine had again 3 breakpoints but didn’t convert. At 2-2 again 3 breakpoints Justine and she broke to lead 3-2. She did hold to confirm the break, but lost her serve at 4-3 allowing Amélie to tie at 4-4. But in the next game Justine had again 3 breakpoints and converted again to take the lead. She served it out impressively with blank servegame. 6-4.
In the second set Justine started with a break of serve right away, but was rebroken in the 2nd game 1-1.They went on serve till 2-2, then Justine again broke (3 breakpoints). But as a copy of the former break, Amélie managed to break back right away so 3-3.
Justi didn’t give up and broke again with brilliant netgame 4-3. No breakpoints against her in the next game, she was going for matchpoints in Amélie’s next servegame: she was very succesful with agressive netgame and close to the line points and got 3 breakpoints again (0-40); the second was succesful…Amélie served a double fault and it was over 6-3.
After Amélie broke back a second time in the second set to 3-3, the commentators meant there was a turning point in the match, but they clearly were wrong !
Great match from Justine, who confirms her no. 1 spot with a Masters title winning from the former no. 1 ! Amélie admitted that her game was not like yesterday’s ag. Kim, which was a tiring match. So in fact Kim did help Justine to win the Masters….
Looking at the statistics: JHH - AM
1st serve: 60% - 61%
1st servegames won: 23/30 (77%) - 19/43 (44%)
2nd servegames won: 6/19 (32%) - 13/29 (45%)
Aces/DF’s: 2/4 - 3/3
Breakpointconv.: 6/16 - 3/4

Clearly in favour of Justine, who lost only 7 of her 1st servegames, and pushed hard on Amélie’s game with 16(!) breakpoints !

An analysis of both Semi Final matches of the Year End Championships in Madrid 2006, where the eight best players of the year come together for the ultimate season prize. A complete overview of Maria Sharapova versus Justine Henin - Hardenne and the match between Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters.
Maria Sharapova   was far from her level she had in the round robin ! But actually, Justine Henin - Hardenne could impose her game upon her, and although Sharapova now and then could serve her way out of it, she was no match for Henin-Hardenne in the 1st set. The 2nd set was different and more balanced. It was close, very close, but Henin-Hardenne did not fade away like she yesterday did against  Amélie Mauresmo in the 3rd set, on the contrary, she often dictated the rules, and was up all the time in the tiebreak. She served rather well (7 aces) where Sharapova often failed (6 DF’s).
Statistics Justine Henin-Hardenne/Maria Sharapova:

1st serve: 60% - 73%
Aces/DF’s: 7/3 - 4/6
Winners/U.E.’s: 22/17 - 14/22
Breakpoints: 4/12 - 2/2
Total points won: 74 - 58

So clearly Maria Sharapova was much more in trouble on her serve than Justine Henin-Hardenne, but managed to serve her way out of it 8 times. Justine Henin-Hardenne  gave her only 2 breakchances, which she took without hesitation.

The match Kim Clijsters vs. Amélie Mauresmo  was completely different:
Amélie Mauresmo  started in a scramble and was 5-1 up in no time ! Kim Clijsters could still hold once to 5-2 but then Amélie served it out easily.
Typical for Clijsters that she was not impressed and started the 2nd set with brilliant tennis, which brought her setvictory.
The 3rd set was more balanced. Both fully went for their points with impressive rallies. Kim broke, but Amélie broke right back. The keygame was at 3-4, wen Kim was serving, and at 30-30 Amélie challenged Kim’s succesful shot on the baseline (40-30), it proved to be out….instead of 40-30 it was 30-40…
It brought a break for Amélie to 3-5, who could serve the match out now. And she did in an impressive way ! Much respect for Amélie’s composure. This is something she was not able to do last year, and which she did start to do since her Mastersvictory last year. It brought he 2 slamvictories and a lot of confidence under pressure ! She lost her nr. 1 position to Justine today, but if she wins tomorrow (not certain yet), she wll be the virtual and deserved no. 1 IMO.
The stats: Amélie/Kim:
1st serve: 57% - 76%
Aces/DF’s: 2/6 - 0/3
Winners/U.E.’s: 20/21 - 26/35
Breakpoints: 5/12 - 3/4
Total points won: 86 - 79
So the U.E.’s made the difference. and Kim was much more under pressure on serve, but saved he skin 7 times, not enough to my disappointement !

Kims was utterly disappointed too, but admitted that Amélie played an amazing match and deserved the victory. She was satisfied with the level she could bring about though, and so was I !
She will take one week vacation and starts already again with her training program for next year. She wants to shine in Australia.

Maria Sharapova lost to Justine Henin-Hardene 6-2 7-6 in the semis at the WTA Championship in Madrid.

The first set started with Henin-Hardene winning the first 3 games.  The next two points were on serve but Sharapova got broke to go down 5-1.  The 2006 US Open champion got a break to stay in the set but was broken right back to lose the set.

The second set started with the first seven games on serve.  The Russian was broken to go down 5-3 but Sharapova got the break right back.  The set was evened at 5-5 after Sharapova held serve.  The set then went into a tie break which went to Henin-Hardene 7-5.  The loss mean Sharapova will not finish the year number 1.

“I just didn’t feel like myself today,” Sharapova said. “I felt a little sluggish. I didn’t feel like I was concentrating. “You hope to find a way to break through that, and I felt like I was getting there at the end of the match, but I just couldn’t put two or three good points together.”

Maria Sharapova beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-4 in her last of the round robin in the WTA Championships.

The first set started out with Sharapova winning the first 2 game.  The next two game each player held serve.  Kuznetsova was then broken for a second time and was broken for a third time giving the 2006 US Open champion the first set 6-1.  The win in the first set gives Sharapova a place in the semis.
The second set started with the younger Russian won the first two games of the second set but was broken in the third game.  The rest of the set was on serve until 5-4 where Sharapova got a break to take the match.
“It was really good,” Sharapova said after the match. “It’s always important to get off to a great start. “You have to be strong from the beginning, that’s what it is all about.”

Maria Sharapova will now play Justine Henin-Hardene in the semis.

Martina Hingis’ 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 triumph over Nadia Petrova strengthens the Swiss’ hopes of moving into the semifinal round and a shot at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships title. In their third meeting, Hingis, prevailed in one hour and fifty-four minutes. Hingis now leads Petrova, 2-1 in career head-to-head wins.

Hingis raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set of the match. Though inconsistent during the earlier games of the first set, Petrova fought hard to hold her serve and break Hingis’ serve, narrowing Hingis’ lead to 4-2. The two players then traded breaks, before Petrova held her serve and trailed Hingis at 5-4. After Petrova’s tough resistance, Hingis prevailed, 6-4,  in the first set that lasted for forty-two minutes.

The second set saw Petrova stepping up while Hingis was besieged by unforced errors as the set progressed. Hingis led Petrova 3-2 before the big-serving Russian improved her game and fought relentlessly. Petrova went on the win the next four games to win the second set, 6-3, and push the match into a deciding third set.

With both players  fully pumped-up, they held their respective serves twice for a 2-2 score. Hingis went on to win the   next three games and was on the verge of winning the match at 5-2.  But  Petrova held her serve and trailed Hingis 5-3. Perseverance and hard work paid off as Hingis moves past Petrova in the third set, 6-3.

“I think she underestimated me,” Hingis said. “Even after she watched me yesterday, and she had a great match against Amelie. She played very well, very solid serving. And I knew I had to come out strong in the beginning otherwise I’ll be blown away.  I just didn’t want to go home having lost all three matches. I just tried to get up early on and play the best I could. This is the top eight and if you don’t come out playing well you’re going to go home soon.”