RUSSIA ADVANCES IN FED CUP 2015. SHARAPOVA WIN

KRAKOW, POLAND
Maria Sharapova produced her best to see off Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets and claim the decisive point as four-time champion Russia beat Poland 4-0 to book its place in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group semifinals. 

Sharapova hit 39 winners to Radwanska’s 16 as the Russian won 61 75 in one hour and 44 minutes to secure victory for the visitors in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles rubbers. For all that Sharapova has achieved in the sport, it is the first time she has ever won the clinching point in a Fed Cup tie. The world No. 2 said: “It’s a great feeling to be able to finish it off in the way that we did. It became really tense at the end, I’ve never been in that position and I definitely felt like I had a lot of responsibility and I really wanted to do that today.
” Sharapova was fired up from the start and claimed the immediate break as she stormed forward to put away the drive volley with ease. Radwanska struggled to cope in the face of Sharapova’s constant attack and dropped serve twice more as Sharapova went on to claim the opening set for the loss of just one game in 33 minutes. 
A sign of Sharapova’s confidence came in her repeated successful use of the drop shot and she edged ahead with the break for 3-1 in the second set with a stunning forehand pass down the line. However, serving for the match at 5-3, she got tight and Radwanska broke for the first time on her sixth break point of the match, albeit she was gifted it courtesy of a Sharapova double fault. Serving to stay in the match, Radwanska saved two match points as Sharapova made consecutive forehand errors and the Pole levelled at 5-5. Sharapova averted danger with a hold from 15-30 down in her next service game and finally she claimed victory on her third match point before rushing over to embrace her captain, Anastasia Myskina. Sharapova said: “I was playing in Krakow in front of Aga’s family and all her supporters in Poland. It’s a difficult match with her coach on the bench as well so it’s like everything was against me today. I just tried to keep my focus and focus on myself and I had a great team supporting me. 
“Aga always plays really well right to the end and she made it really difficult for me but I’m really happy I came through.” It brought to an end a thoroughly disappointing weekend for Radwanska, who was playing in her hometown for the first time. The world No. 8 was deeply upset after losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets on Saturday and although Sharapova was too good on this occasion, she did leave the Krakow Arena with a sense of regret at the amount of missed break point chances. Radwanska said: “Definitely she was playing unbelievable today. Everything was working for her today. I think I started a bit too slow. She just had an answer for everything today. “Of course I had so many chances, even in the first set. When you don’t really use those [chances] against those kind of players, then it turns against you. I think that was also the key in the match.”