Once again, Maria Sharapova looks like she'll fail to come out on top head-to-head against Serena Williams. And this time, they haven't even faced each other on the court.
World's No. 2 Sharapova was all but eliminated from the WTA Championships in Singapore on Friday after losing in straight sets to No. 3 Petra Kvitova.
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Sharapova held a 6-2 lifetime record against Kvitova coming into the match but lost 6-3, 6-2 and had to rally from a 5-0 deficit in the second set just to avoid embarrassment of being bageled in the second set.
Sharapova still has a small chance of advancing from the White Group pool. If she beats Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets on Friday and Caroline Wozniacki defeats Kvitova in straight sets, then Sharapova, Kvitova and Radwanska each would have a 1-2 record in pool play.
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Then it would come down to sets won, and in that scenario, Sharapova would have the most sets won (three) and would advance to the semifinals.
Under any other circumstance, Sharapova is done. She has been chasing Williams her entire career and is currently on a 15-match losing streak to Williams.
And even if Sharapova does sneak through to the semifinals, the road to the finals could go through Serena anyway. The No. 1 player in the world dispatched of Eugenie Bouchard 6-1, 6-1 to finish with ah 2-1 record in the Red Group pool.
If Red Group leader Simona Halep wins just one set from Ana Ivanovic in their match, Williams is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals.
Sharapova likely would have to beat Halep, whom she beat in the French Open, to get to the finals and possibly face Willliams. But Halep routed Serena 6-2, 6-0 in their pool play match, and a Sharapova victory based on her play during her first two matches seems remote.
But it would be a heck of a comeback story if Sharapova were able to pull it off.
Do you think Maria Sharapova has any shot of advancing to the WTA Championships semifinals? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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