Sharapova Defeats Li to Win Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
April 29, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
Maria Sharapova defeated Li Na in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 to win the 2013 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Sunday in just over 90 minutes. Sharapova not only collected her 29th WTA title, she extended her clay court winning streak to 16 consecutive matches, a stretch that includes the Rome and French Open titles from last year. She also defended a WTA title for the fifth time in her career, having done it at Tokyo (2003 and 2004), Birmingham (2004 and 2005), San Diego (2006 and 2007), and Rome (2011 and 2012).
"I knew this was going to be the toughest match of the week, so I am really pleased with the way things worked out," Sharapova said after the match. "It’s too early to talk about the French Open and I don’t like to compare different years. You play different players, different conditions, but you can build confidence if you have success on the same court."
Sharapova improved to 9-5 head-to-head against Li with the win. Li fell to 7-10 in her career in the WTA finals, but she and Sharapova are really stepping forward as two of the players to beat this year—Sharapova is now 22-3 on the season and Li is 20-4.
