Top-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia takes on ninth seeded German Angelique Kerber in the quarter-final of Open GDF Suez 2012 WTA tennis tournament. Watch live online - free.
Sharapova, who was the losing finalist at the Australian Open 2012, came into the tournament with a win in the Fed Cup match against Silvia Soler-Espinosa. She had a bye in her first round in the Open GDF Suez 2012 before she defeated Chanelle Scheepers quite easily in the second round of the tournament.
The Russian dropped four games before she won 6-1, 6-3. Against her will now be Kerber, who needed three sets to overcome her second round opponent Monica Niculescu. Kerber took the first set but went down in the second before winning the 6-3.
In the first round, Kerber was stretched to a second set tie-breaker but won in straight sets 6-2, 7-6.
Interestingly, the only time the two players have played each other was in this year’s Australian Open. Sharapova defeated the world number 27 in the third round of the competition, 6-1, 6-2 and this will be a good chance to avenge that defeat for Kerber.
The Russian, however, seems to be in the form of her life and apart from that aberration in the Australian Open final where she lost nine games in a row to lose the match, she has shown her class over the last three weeks or so. Sharapova will be a favourite to win this one.
The Maria Sharapova v Angelique Kerber quarter-final match at the Open GDF Suez 2012 will be played on Friday, February 10.
