Sharapova Takes Out Kanepi in French Open
Kaia Kanepi was knocked out of the quarterfinals of the French Open by Russia's Maria Sharapova on Wednesday with a final score of 2-6, 3-6.
Sharapova, ranked No. 2 in the world, and a former No. 1, pummeled through the match with sheer power, showing a clearly superior level of playing that demanded more effort from the 25th ranked Kanepi. Moving to the semifinals, the French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament Sharapova has not won.
With the match consistently deteriorating for Kanepi, the defeated Estonian was, nevertheless, on several occasions able to upset Sharapova, including a surprise set that temporarily delayed a rapidly approaching end, at which point Kanepi mouthed the words “first good point” to her coach.
It was the first time that the two met in a Women's Tennis Association tournament. Kanepi had been on a role, defeating former world No. 1, Caroline Wozniack last Saturday. But Sharapova played better than in her previous match, when it took her three hours to overcome Klara Zakopalova (WTA 44) of the Czech Republic.
Ott Tammik