Sharapova Beats Kvitova to Win China Open

Oct. 5, 2014

Maria Sharapova returning a shot before winning the woman’s singles final match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on Sunday.

Maria Sharapova outlasted Czech star Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to win the China Open on Sunday and return to No. 2 in the Women's Tennis Association rankings.

The fourth-seeded Sharapova won her fourth title of the year and first since winning the French Open in June.

With her latest win, Sharapova will jump over Romania's Simona Halep and the Czech

Republic's Petra Kvitova to the No. 2 spot in the rankings, behind U.S. star Serena Williams. Just five months ago, the Russian was one defeat away from dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since 2011.

Kvitova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, fell short of earning her second title in as many weeks. She beat Eugenie Bouchard, the promising young Canadian, to win the Wuhan Open last week.

Sharapova has won five Grand Slam titles since turning professional in 2001. She also won a silver medal for Russia at the London Summer Olympics.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue