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Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2014 5:34:28 GMT
Caroline Wozniacki clinches the final Sony Open Tennis R16 berth with a 56 minute 61 60 victory against Sloane Stephens. Rory McIlory is planning to tie the knot with his birdie Caroline Wozniacki in a lavish wedding in New York. Sources say the loved-up pair have chosen to jet to the Big Apple to become husband and wife later this year.The superstar sporting couple is planning to wed in November. We’ve been told the guest list reads like a who’s who of the sporting world with former US president Bill Clinton also said to be invited. A source said: “They’ve chosen New York to have their wedding. “Rory’s now based in America so they thought it made sense. They’ll pull out all the stops to make sure their day is as special as it can be. Family and friends are very important to them both. With money no object they’re flying who they want to be there on their big day to New York. Bill Clinton has also been mentioned as being invited. Rory and him played golf in Ireland and struck up a friendship.”
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Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2014 22:43:03 GMT
Maria Sharapova was happy to play an 11 a.m. match Monday, especially when her work day was already done by the time a mid-afternoon shower interrupted play. "It's nice to see all the players coming back in the locker room, and I'm like, 'I'll see you later,'" she said. Sharapova started early but didn't start well. She won only five points in the first four games before settling down to reach the quarterfinals at the Sony Open by beating Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Seeded No. 4, Sharapova won only five points in the first four games and seemed thrown off by the lack of pace on Flipkens' shots. Sharapova gradually began to find the range with her groundstrokes, but even so she finished with 36 unforced errors and only 13 winners. She also double-faulted 10 times. "I had a really sloppy start, and Kirsten took advantage," Sharapova said. "I was just making a lot of errors. I'm happy I was able to switch it around." Flipkens had never won a set against Sharapova in their four previous matches. The tour veteran fell to 3-12 against top-10 opponents.
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Post by Admin on Mar 25, 2014 23:38:57 GMT
Maria Sharapova: Beat Petra Kvitova to reach the semis in Miami Maria Sharapova moved a step closer to a fourth consecutive final appearance at the Sony Open as she overcame Petra Kvitova in straight sets. The Russian has never won at Crandon Park in Miami, but has made the final five times, including the last three years. She is now just one match away from another final after advancing to the semis with a 7-5 6-1 win over her fellow former Wimbledon champion. The fourth-seeded Sharapova will face either defending champion Serena Williams or Angelique Kerber in the semifinals. Sharapova -- who needed three-setters to get through her two most recent matches at Key Biscayne -- feasted off 30 unforced errors made by the eighth-seeded Kvitova, who lost 11 of the final 13 games. "I love the energy here," Sharapova said.
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Post by Admin on Mar 26, 2014 23:14:29 GMT
Dominika Cibulkova saved three match points to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6 7-6(5) 6-3 and book a spot in the Sony Open last four for the first time in her career. Victory ensured another first for the Slovakian as she will now take a place in the world's top ten for the first time in her professional career. "This win really means a lot to me," Cibulkova said. "It's always tough to play Aga, but I knew I just had to stay aggressive. If you make some mistakes with Aga you still have to stay aggressive. That's the way I play, and it's the only way to beat her. I had to keep it going." "I knew before the match that this was the match I needed to win to become Top 10," Cibulkova said. "So it was some more pressure, but I'm obviously very happy with the way I handled it on the court today."
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Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2014 23:19:53 GMT
Between points, Serena Williams stood motionless behind the baseline with her back to the net, as if trying to match -- or mimic -- the methodical ritual of her opponent, Maria Sharapova. They took turns waiting on each other, the pace of play plodding, but there was no delaying the inevitable. Williams beat Sharapova for the 15th consecutive time Thursday, rallying in both sets to win 6-4, 6-3 in the Sony Open semifinals. "Despite my results against her, I still look forward to playing against her because you learn so much from that type of level which she produces," Sharapova said. "You finish the match, and you know where you need to improve and the things that you need to work on." The No. 1-ranked Williams won with a superior serve and better returns. She hit nine aces and broke five times, which helped her rebound from deficits of 4-1 in the first set and 2-0 in the second. "I wasn't playing my best," Williams said. "I knew if I wanted to stay in the tournament and make another final, I just had to play better." “I think as players we want to be known for our strength on the court, because at the beginning of our careers that’s what we started off as,” Sharapova told reporters at the Sony Open. “We didn’t start off with modeling agencies. We started off grinding on walls or in tough circumstances and tough situations where we had to grind out and become top professional players. “We didn’t start in a promotional advertisement modeling world. That was never our job. There are a lot of people that can take care of those things. Our focus has always been the game and the opportunities that we are able to create with the game that we produce and the results that we produce.” Now, a new generation of WTA youngsters with big games and glamorous marketing potential, like Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens, are starting to make waves; but times have changed, and Sharapova says their experiences of navigating the world of tennis and fame is different from when she was a teenager. She points to social media in particular as completely changing how young athletes see themselves. Social media can amplify the negativity, but it can also amplify the hype. “You’re always around opinions,” Sharapova said. “No matter who you are, how great you are, there are always going to be those that don’t have nice things to say. And probably as a younger player, someone that’s just coming up, that’s always challenging to take in the beginning of your career. Now when you see that shift of teenagers doing extremely well, pushing at Grand Slams at an earlier age, the hype I think is a lot bigger than maybe many years ago because you don’t see that so often. And that adds another level of pressure. All of a sudden you’re photographed by Vogue or you’re talked about. It can become difficult.”
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