With some incredible fight to back up her incredible power game, Maria Sharapova came back from the brink of defeat to beat Li Na in the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, saving match point and even weathering a two hour rain delay before the third set tie-break to conquer the Eternal City.
The No.8-seeded Li hadn't won a WTA title since becoming Asia's first Grand Slam champion at the French Open almost a year ago, and that hunger was evident as she built a 64 40 lead. Never one to back down, Sharapova dug deep and won eight games in a row from there, taking the second set and going ahead 2-0 in the third. She eventually built a 4-1, two-break lead in the third.
Li regrouped from the mid-match collapse and won four games in a row, getting both breaks back to get the match back on serve. She even got to match point with Sharapova serving 5-6, ad-out - but she didn't convert and Sharapova held, and just minutes later the skies opened, suspending play for over two hours.
[Source]
