In the past 10 months, Christina McHale has beaten Caroline Wozniacki, Marion Bartoli, and Petra Kvitova, all members of the WTA Top 10. The 20-year-old American was unable to add Maria Sharapova, another player whose ranking is but one digit long, to that list, losing 7-5, 7-5, but if McHale kept a "good losses" list, today's effort against the world No. 2 would make the cut.
McHale started off well, taking a 4-1 lead after some Sharapova misses and missed break points. Breaking Sharapova in the third game, McHale generally kept pace with her hard-hitting opponent, as long as both women were at the baseline. But despite the scoreline, McHale was walking a tightrope. As you might expect, points were mostly won or lost on Sharapova's racquet, and if any McHale shot landed short, the odds tilted greatly in the Russian's favor.
When Sharapova got the break back for 3-4, it looked as if McHale's chance had been lost, but she immediately returned the favor and earned a chance to serve for the set. The prosperity was too much for her to handle, as Sharapova quickly earned triple break point with big cuts that elicited errors. It was Sharapova's second break in a row, and it would turn out to be the second of four consecutive breaks. Quickly, Sharapova led by a set and a break of serve.
Neither player was reliable for great stretches in this match, despite both playing their best tennis in the second set. When McHale broke back for 1-1 to prevent the match from spiraling out of control, the players settled into a series of consistent service games. That would have done wonders for McHale in the first set, but with Sharapova in her own groove, it was just enough to keep pace.
When the scoreboard read 5-5, Sharapova made her move, just as she did in the first set. McHale tightened up just a bit—she was still walking that tightrope, if more comfortably, in the second set—and it was enough to make her lose balance. Sharapova crushed a short forehand on break point, set up by a big backhand return into the body, for a 6-5 lead, an advantage she wouldn't relinquish.
The final score suggests a close match, and it was, even if Sharapova still owned a sizable mental and physical edge. McHale's spin-heavy, uppercut forehand works well on all courts, and especially on clay. Her backhand is steady, but she'd surely like to get more from her serve so as to claim some easier points. For Sharapova, it may not be a win we'll remember once this tournament passes, but if she kept a "unsung wins" list, this effort would make the cut.
