Pre-tournament buzz was centered around the potential third round clash between Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. Despite Belgium’s best efforts, it’s onnnnn. Both players came through their second round matches in straight sets; Sharapova overcame Yanina Wickmayer, 6-1 7-5 and Azarenka defeated Kirsten Flipkens, 6-2 6-4. This really feels like more than just a third round match and it should be a great contest with both players in good form so far this year. Sharapova’s only loss of 2015 has come against Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open. Maria won Brisbane, beating Ana Ivanovic in the final and she reached the semi-finals of Acapulco where she was forced to pull out of her semi-final match with a stomach virus.
Azarenka, suited and booted with a brand spanking new team, finally seems to be settled and playing consistent tennis again. Two of her flagship wins in 2015 have come against Caroline Wozniacki; she beat the Dane in a star-studded second rounder at the Australian Open en route to making the fourth round where she lost to an inspired Dominika Cibulkova in one of the best WTA matches of 2015 so far. She allowed Wozniacki even fewer games in Doha where she produced some fine tennis to reach the final. Azarenka’s best performance was a semi-final win against Venus Williams. It was the first time she had ever won a set against Venus, let alone a match and it required nerves of steel to seal the win against a determined opponent. Azarenka has has looked to be aggressive with some excellent stats at coming into the net this year.
Azarenka leads the head-to-head with Sharapova, 7-6. The pair haven’t played since the 2013 French Open where Sharapova prevailed, 6-1 2-6 6-4. Sharapova has won their last two matches. However, when Azarenka was at her peak, she really did own Sharapova. Straight set wins in Stanford (6-4 6-1, 2010), Miami (6-1 6-4, 2011), Melbourne (6-3 6-0, 2012), Indian Wells (6-2 6-3, 2012) and Beijing (6-3 6-1, 2012) demonstrated this. The pair obviously don’t get on, which always add an extra bite to this match-up. I really like Vika’s chances, particularly IF she maintains an aggressive game plan and can utilise variety. It may still be a little too early in her comeback to be beating players of Maria’s calibre, but I believe she is not far off…
Prediction: Azarenka d. Sharapova in 3 sets
Moo's Tennis Blog 
This match is depend on sharapova serve , if she serve well so she can cotrol the point Vika is good mover on the court if she can dictate the point then the match wiiner is Vika.
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Ill Vika all the way here, especially in these conditions at Indian Wells. If she manages to play the aggressive tennis she has been playing this year, coming to the net, Sharapova will do well to beat her.
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I go for Azarenka. It will be a noisy match. Both players will be eager to manipulate the pace of play to themselves.
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A win is a win but I do think Maria was saved by the line judge in the first set when Vika was up 40-30. And then Maria screamed through the first set and won the second. I think Vika is still not 100% yet.
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Did people watch the match? It sounds like Azarenka lost more than Sharapova won.
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