Sharapova to face Azarenka in Stanford final

Stanford, Aug 1: Maria Sharapova had entered into the Stanford final to set up a championship match against Victoria Azarenka.

Sharapova casted off a first-set loss to beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday, Jul 31 in the Bank of the West Classic.

Sharapova committed eight unforced errors, all on double faults, but none in the third set.

She recorded four aces with a serve that reached 114 mph.

Azarenka, from Belarus, celebrating her 21st birthday with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over top-seeded Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3.

She can move up to no 12 if she wins the title while the same title will give Sharapova her best ranking since returning from a shoulder injury in May 2009.

Azarenka reached her third final of the season and is looking for her first title of the year 2010, though both of her potential opponents will offer a stiff challenge.

"I'm finally injury free and enjoying my time on the court," said Azarenka.

She also include, "I'm starting to move a little bit better and my defense has improved. That's helped my offense. I've also been working hard on my serve and it's getting consistent."

OneIndia News