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Fierce Pierce too strong for exhausted Peng
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-08 05:37
In Saturday's feature evening match, un-seeded former Top 10 player Ai
Sugiyama advanced to her second career Tier I final when 25-year-old compatriot
Akiko Morigami was forced to retire down 64 43 due to patellar tendonitis in her
right knee. The run to the final this week marks somewhat of a career resurgence
for Sugiyama, who had not reached even a quarterfinal in 18 previously contested
events in 2005. Her second round victory over world No 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova was
also her first victory over a Top 10 player since defeating Justine
Henin-Hardenne at the Season-Ending Tour Championships in November, 2003.
"It's unbelievable," said Sugiyama, who first reached a Tier I final in 1997,
finishing runner-up at Moscow to the now-retired Jana Novotna. "It's been such a
long time for me to be in a final. Of course, I'm sorry for Akiko and that we
couldn't finish our match tonight."
Sunday's final will feature the 11th career meeting between Pierce and
Sugiyama, with Sugiyama leading the head-to-head 6-4. The 38th-ranked Tokyo
native has a 2-1 advantage on clay, including a three-set victory at San Diego
in 1999, she has also won four of their last five encounters, most recently a 62
64 decision at Rome last year. One interesting statistic to note is that the
winner of the first set has gone on to win the match in nine of the two players'
10 previous encounters, indicating that a fast start in Sunday's final is
crucial.
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