Maria Sharapova vs. Sam Stosur in WTA Cincinnati Open

Maria Sharapova and Samantha Stosur are scheduled to meet on Friday for an exciting quarter-final showdown at the Western and Southern Open.

Maria Sharapova is showing plenty of signs that she’s one of the front-runners in this year’s Western and Southern Open, and she’s made it through to the quarter-finals without dropping a set. The former world No. 1 defeated Anastasia Rodionova 6-1, 6-3 in round two, before claiming another straightforward win on Thursday against fourteenth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova (6-2, 6-3).

Sharapova will now take on Samantha Stosur on Friday for a place in the final four. Stosur earned the right to take on Sharapova here by recording her fifth successive victory over French Open champion Na Li. The Australian appears to be ready to mount a title challenge, but she’s going to need to work hard to get past Sharapova.

Sharapova will be considered the clear favourite on Friday, and her 8-0 head to head record against Stosur says it all. Stosur has only managed to take two sets off Sharapova from these eight matches, and she’s already lost to her in straight sets twice this season.