U.S. Open: Sharapova d. Petrova

NEW YORK—Carrying a couple of bags over her shoulders, Maria Sharapova took the court looking like a woman packed for a Labor Day getaway. Facing an 0-2 deficit in the decisive set, Sharapova could have departed the U.S. Open draw tonight, but the resourceful third seed worked overtime for a hard-fought win. Sharapova reeled off six of the last eight games to subdue Nadia Petrova, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, and advance to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since she captured the championship in 2006.

This was a match with wild momentum shifts, a 64-minute rain delay that suspended play with Petrova holding that 2-0 third-set lead and some gutsy shotmaking from Sharapova, who surrendered just six points in her final four service games to seal a taxing two hour, 14-minute victory.

It began as a blow-out as Sharapova served 81 percent in the first set, struck twice as many winners (8 to 4) and won five consecutive games to close out the 31-minute first set. Sharapova, who had won eight of their prior nine meetings, appeared to be in command, but Petrova, who upset world No. 1 Justine Henin at this stage en route to the 2004 U.S. Open quarterfinals, dug in with defiance.

In the second set, the edge came off of Sharapova’s shots, while Petrova polished up her shot selection and took advantage when Sharapova’s serve started to come undone. The French Open champion double faulted a game point away and sailed a backhand long to drop serve in the second game of the second set. Another Sharapova double fault followed by an errant backhand gave Petrova the second break and a 4-0 lead before Sharapova regained her range and stormed back to level.

The pivotal point came with Petrova facing break point at 4-4. The 2010 U.S. Open doubles finalist, who had rarely ventured to net since winning the coin toss, hit a fine forehand volley down the line to save the break point, eventually holding for 5-4. A shaky Sharapova fell into triple set point hole. She saved the first two, but Petrova pounded a bold forehand smack on the side line to convert her third set point, snatching the 56-minute second set to level the match as her coach, Ricardo Sanchez, leaped out of his seat.

Riding that revival into the decider, Petrova slammed down a smash to hold at love and took advantage of another Sharapova double fault to break at love for a 2-0 advantage. Then the light showers came and at about 9:01 p.m. tournament referee Brian Earley suspended play.  The rain came at the right time for Sharapova, allowing her to confer with coach Thomas Högstedt, as well as her father, Yuri, as she pressed the reset button. Hogstedt’s advice was direct: Clean up your act and keep fighting.

“[Hogstedt] told me to get my act together first of all, that was quite important,” Sharapova told Tennis Channel analyst Rennae Stubbs in her post-match interview. “Beginning of the third set, I got sloppy. He just told me to fight and I talked to my dad and he said, ‘Gotta keep fighting. Gotta keep fighting!’ and that’s what I did.”

The player behind the brand followed a forehand return winner crosscourt by rifling a return winner down the line to break after play resumed. Sharapova reeled off six straight points to level and broke for 4-3 crunching a blistering return cross court hit so hard the ball landed almost before Petrova finished her service motion. Sharapova defended her second serve better and ravaged Petrova's second delivery when it mattered, winning 23 of 37 points played on Petrova's second serve.

Sharapova, who caught her toss frequently, finished with four aces and eight double faults. She owns a 4-0 record against quarterfinal opponent Marion Bartoli.