For all the ups and downs and momentum shifts in the match, Masha/Kleybs was actually a really fun match to watch. Well, maybe not aesthetically, but tennis-wise, it had its moments.
After the first set it looked like Maria had this in control. Kleybs looked overwhelmed by her power. But then the serving woes hit and she dropped the second 64 and fell behind 3-1 in the third. Kleybs was doing a better job handling Maria's pace and more importantly she was showing off that very perplexing ability of running down balls you would never expect her to.
But then Maria called out Mike Joyce and he seemed to be able to calm her down and give her clarity. From there, Maria just ground it out and came back to take the last set 64.
She advances to the All-Russian Final against Lena today, who she owns, 8-2. That said, I don't give her much of a chance against Lena. But congrats on getting to your first final since the comeback and last night's win means Masha will be seeded at the USO. Is it weird that I'm kind of bummed about that. I liked the thought of Masha as a floater, taking out top seeds early. It's not like she's got a chance to win the whole thing anyway. Might as well make it entertaining.
