VENI VIDI VICI – WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T STUDY LATIN? GLOBAL CHICK GIVES US HER TAKE ON THE LADIES TENNIS FINALS IN ROME

Written by: Global Chick on 16th May 2015

VENI VIDI VICI – WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T STUDY LATIN? GLOBAL CHICK GIVES US HER TAKE ON THE LADIES TENNIS FINALS IN ROME

epa04751938 Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts during the semifinal match against Daria Gavrilova of Russia during the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 16 May 2015. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO |

Veni Vidi Vici – What do you mean you didn’t study Latin?

Well we have our women’s semi-finalists in the City of Roma. And boy was there a lot of conquering on Saturday.

Ladies final – Carla Suarez Navarro v Maria Sharapova

It was a great turnaround by Simona Halep from her opening round exit in Madrid, and she was doing so well. Until the semi-final. This was always going to be a close one – Suarez Navarro might have struck the first blow with a quick break, but Halep hit her groove in the first set, ploughing through the Spaniard and staving off three break points before finally snaffling the first set.

Now Halep has been mightily impressive all this year, and indeed has taken her losses on the dirt with good grace, but we were beginning to see signs of the wheels coming off as Suarez Navarro finally closed out the second set. Now when we say finally we mean four set points going begging as Halep served at 2-5 to stay in the set, and another couple before closing it out on her serve for the seventh time of asking. I mean, we’ve heard of the Seven Hills of Rome, but was there any need to climb each one?

Then again, set three was all down to who could hold. No-one, it seemed for the first eight games as the pair traded breaks like people sharing a plate of antipasti. Halep started to unravel as she tried to see if she could win the “let’s bounce the racquet as high as we can off the ground game,” which she was doing really rather well.

Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain returns the ball to Simona Halep of Romania during their semifinal match for the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 16 May 2015. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI

In the end the nerves belonged to Suarez Navarro, breaking for a 6-5 advantage, and finally converting her third match point to book a spot in her biggest final yet. One of the most popular women on the tour, everyone was in tears, her dad, her coach, but well deserved we think.

Meanwhile it was a rematch for Maria Sharapova against pocket rocket Daria Gavrilova. This was an interesting rematch – Sharapova struggled with injury after losing to Gavrilova in the Miami opener, and it has set the scene for her clay court season thus far. Admitting to us in Madrid that this was the first time that she felt up to training fully, she pushed through to the semi-finals, and has now hit peak form, although Gavrilova was not giving an inch (no pun intended) in the first set, with Sharapova sneaking the first set, after her opponent had to take a medical time out for an abdominal strain. It had been quite the week, with qualifying rounds as well, and it was a shame because it looked as though she was going to struggle gamely on in the second.

But why struggle when you can get the crowd onside and fight back with a bunch of fist-pumps? She clobbered Sharapova early in the second set – bet that stopped the strain from hurting! But it was a little short-lived as Sharapova had enough of that, breaking twice and snaring her spot in the final.

Sharapova is now an established force on clay, Suarez Navarro has just one title one last year, but she has impressed so far. She has just one win over Sharapova last year, and all their meetings have come on hard courts.

This deserves to be a three setter, and Suarez Navarro has the fighting chops this week to take the battle to next week’s World No. 2. And while we’re on the subject, we will of course be casting out critical eye over the draws at the end of next week. Now… who ate the last of the mozzarella?

Topics: Carla Suarez Navarro, global chick, Maria Sharapova, Rome, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

May 16, 2015 at 12:37 pm

VINI VIDI VICI – WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T STUDY LATIN? GLOBAL CHICK GIVES US HER TAKE ON THE LADIES #TENNIS FINALS http://t.co/VhNkJrOBtf