Maria Sharapova Tennis: World Hot Maria Sharapova Tennis

ISTANBUL: Maria Sharapova’s season ended in disappointment as her hopes of regaining the title at the WTA Championships after a seven-year gap and dethroning Caroline Wozniacki as world number one were dashed due to an ankle injury.

The former Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion from Russia announced that she was still feeling the effects of her injury and withdrew from the women’s tour’s flagship event after losing 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to Li Na, the French Open champion from China.

Her decision ensured that Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki would become year-end world number one for the second successive year. However, the Dane was unable to celebrate that with a victory as she was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 by Vera Zvonareva, the Russian who finished last year in second place.

Sharapova disappointed

Meanwhile, the Russian could still feel the ankle injury she sustained four weeks ago in Tokyo, despite a very spirited effort in a flawed but fine match against a revitalised Li.

Sharapova had points for a double break of serve and a 5-2 lead in the first set, and then led 4-0 in the tie-break, before Li fought back brilliantly. In the second set Sharapova trailed by two breaks but battled back to earn three points for a double break back at 5-5 before Li denied her and took the match.

Sharapova said that two matches in as many days had tested her ankle to the limit.

“It didn’t recover as well as I hoped after the first match,” said Sharapova, referring to her loss on Tuesday to Samantha Stosur, the French Open champion from Australia. “The swelling got a little worse, and it limits my movement a lot. Knowing that I have some time [in the close season] to recover I would rather do that than risk damaging something else.”

It means that Sharapova will not play her last group match today against Victoria Azarenka, and that Marion Bartoli of France will take part in the tournament.

The result was a big blow for the tournament, which lost its highest profile player, but a welcome consolation was the partial return to form of Li.

“It was the first match I won in so long,” said Li. “It was the first match I was nervous, and also because I really wanted to win. Neither of us was a 100 per cent but I think both of us played at a high level.”

Maria Sharapova Tennis