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By Erik Gudris / Sunday, January 19, 2014
Dominika Cibulkova provided the second big upset on the
women’s side as she knocked out former champion Maria
Sharapova in three sets.
Photo Credit: Corleve
No. 20 seed Dominika Cibulkova of
Slovakia weathered a fierce battle from No. 3 seed
Maria Sharapova to secure her spot into the
Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time in her
career.
After Sharapova secured an early break in the opening set,
Cibulkova helped the former champion by overhitting on multiple
shots from the baseline. Though broken serving for the set,
Sharapova broke back to claim it 6-3. But that’s when things
started to fall apart for Sharapova.
Refusing to give in, Cibulkova soon started landing her shots
with more accuracy while Sharapova began to misfire more often.
Cibulkova quickly raced out to a 5-0 lead and looked headed to
a third set. Sharapova cleaned up her game just in time and
began her own mini-comeback. Edging to 4-5, Sharapova
forced Cibulkova to serve for the set again.
On her third try, Cibulkova managed to hang on and take it 6-4.
Just before the start of the final set, Sharapova called for a
medical time out and exited Rod Laver Arena. Sharapova,
diagnosed with a left hip strain, returned to the court. With a
double fault backed up by a wayward forehand, Sharapova offered
up the first break of serve. With Sharapova not able to stretch
for many wide shots, it was Cibulkova who kept up the pressure
on the Russian. Cibulkova struck a low, dipping forehand that
Sharapova could only net to give the Slovakian a commanding 4-1
lead.
The final game proved a ragged affair as Sharapova struggled
with her serve and forehand. She saved one match point against
her with a forehand winner that just clipped the net. But she
wasn’t as fortunate on the second one against her. Sharapova
set a backhand just wide to give a delighted Cibulkova the 3-6,
6-4, 6-1 victory.
Afterwards, Sharapova confirmed the hip issue but stated it was
not the same one she dealt with at Wimbledon last year.
She tried to look at the positives despite the loss.
“I think it’s a success in terms of that I’m back and that I’m
healthy,” Sharapova said. “That’s quite important.
Otherwise I wouldn’t give myself a chance to play. So on that
note, yeah, I have to look at the positives and see where I
have come from in four or five months.”
With big names Serena Williams and now
Sharapova out of the draw, it would be easy to start looking
ahead to what be a huge opportunity for Cibulkova. Instead,
Cibulkova is trying to keep the focus on her game.
“I don’t want to think about it, you know. I came here to play
my best tennis,” Cibulkova said. “The thing that changed maybe
that I’m playing so well. You know, I’m trying to also enjoy
tennis. I love what I’m doing, and I don’t want to put too much
pressure, because then it’s I don’t want to suffer
on the court, you know. I love the game and I love to
play tennis. I’m very good player, so I don’t want to
have two opponents, the real one and me. I’m just trying to
play against the opponent.”
Cibulkova will next face the winner another player who reached
their first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal. Romania’s
Simona Halep saw off Jelena
Jankovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 and will now play Cibulkova for
a spot in the semis.
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