WTA – Stuttgart (Sun): Sharapova Defeats Li To Defend Title

Written by: Staff on 28th April 2013

WTA - Stuttgart (Sun): Sharapova Defeats Li To Defend Title

epa03679957 Russia's Maria Scharapova in action during the final match against China's Li Na at the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, 28 April 2013. EPA/BERND WEISSBROD |

PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX

Stuttgart, Germany

April 22-28, 2013

$795,707/Premier

Red Clay/Indoors

Results – Sunday, April 28, 2013

Singles – Final

(1) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (2) Li Na (CHN) 64 63

Doubles – Final

(WC) Barthel/Lisicki (GER/GER) d. Mattek-Sands/Mirza (USA/IND) 64 75

Final Facts

– Sharapova wins her 29th WTA title and second of 2013.

– Sharapova becomes the first player to defend the title in Stuttgart since Davenport in 2005.

– Sharapova’s win-loss record in WTA finals now stands at 29-20, with six of her last eight titles coming on clay.

– Sharapova extends her clay court winning streak to 16 matches, having won her final two clay court events of 2012, Roland Garros and Rome.

– Sharapova was pushed to three sets in every round en route to the final, spending around seven and a half hours on court – over three hours more than Li.

– Sharapova has now won two or more titles for four consecutive seasons.

– Li falls to 7-10 in WTA finals, and 1-4 in clay court finals – her sole title coming at Roland Garros in 2011..

– Sharapova and Li were meeting for the 14th time; Sharapova now leads the head-to-head record 9-5, having won four of their last five encounters.

– Sharapova and Li will remain at No.2 and No.5 when the new rankings are released.

– Barthel and Lisicki win their first WTA title together; Lisicki now has two career titles, while Barthel has one.

– Barthel and Lisicki are the first all-German team to win the doubles in Stuttgart.

Final Quotes

Maria Sharapova: “She was the second seed and she was fresher than me going into the final, so I knew it would be the toughest match of the tournament. I really tried to do the right things from the beginning to the end and not have a letdown like I did in the other matches – there were some struggles in those. But I kept giving myself chances to go to the next round, and I think I really played my best tennis of the week today.”

Li Na: “You never know what will happen when we play, it’s always 50/50, but today she was the better one. Of course it’s sad when you lose in the final, but looking back at the whole week, it was the first clay court tournament of the year for me, so I’m happy to have reached the final here.”