Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome

Women’s Final: [CR3] Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. [CR10] Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)

Conviction and confidence, Sharapova has both qualities in excess. She has demonstrated that repeatedly over the years when she battled back from the brink of defeat. Suarez Navarro has grown in confidence; however, her conviction was never in doubt. This match demonstrated both the physical and mental capacity of each player. Each in their own way dug deep to overcome that little voice of doubt that sometimes plague one at unexpected moments. Suarez Navarro did so when she served for the first set.  Sharapova did as well, when she fought back in the second set to send it to a third.

Tennis challenges a player to remain focused long enough to win two sets to get the victory.  When your physical reserves are depleted, how do you persevere? They each had a set and the third would decide who hoisted the trophy.  Who had a little more in reserve to overcome the final hurdle? Suarez Navarro wobbled in the second set and it cost her the match.  By the third set, her belief was gone, eroded by doubts and the persistent attacking style of Sharapova.  Suarez Navarro fought valiantly, perhaps her three set victory over Simona Halep was too draining. She had nothing left to fight off a determined Sharapova, who won 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.  Sharapova gets another title and a boost in confidence going into the French Open.