CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Top-seeded Maria Sharapova earned her
first title in 10 months with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 victory Sunday over
Patty Schnyder in the final Acura Classic tournament.
Sharapova used sharp groundstrokes in the first and third sets
to capture her first championship since winning a WTA title at
Linz, Austria, in October.
The No. 2 ranked player, who was the defending champion, dropped
her first set of the tournament that had a 24-year run in the San
Diego-area. Promoters sold the tournament rights back to the WTA
Tour, which plans to relocate the event.
"It's always good to win a title," Sharapova said. "But to
actually come back the year after and back it up is good."
Schnyder, the No. 11 seed, had no answers for Sharapova in the
first set as her Russian opponent consistently hit the lines with
forehands and backhands.
"In the first set, I felt like I hit some really good shots,
especially when she was serving," Sharapova said. "It opened some
doors for me."
But the Swiss woman settled down in the second set and earned
her first break of serve to take a 3-1 lead. Sharapova broke right
back, but Schnyder eventually broke again for a 5-3 lead. The
left-hander took the second set when Sharapova hit a forehand long.
The third set was a repeat of the first as Sharapova began
hitting crisp winners again. Sharapova jumped out to a 4-0 lead
after breaking Schnyder in the second and fourth games. She
finished off the match with a crosscourt forehand winner.
"The beginning of the third she tried to be more aggressive,"
Schnyder said. "The first break I got, she hit three returns on
the line, two on the baseline that were impossible to handle. She
went for those shots and she got it. She really deserved to win."
Schnyder had little success against Sharapova's serve, going
2-for-10 in break chances. Sharapova was successful on 6 of 10
break opportunities.
"She's a champion and you know you have to come up with
something special," Schnyder said.
Sharapova, a Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles champion, received
$181,980 for her 16th tour title. Schnyder received $92,410.
The win raised Sharapova's career record to 6-1 against Schnyder
with five of the matches going to three sets.
Schnyder, who beat three straight higher-ranked opponents to
reach the finals, hasn't won a title since July 2005.