Maria Sharapova survived a rain delay and a tough fourth-round matchup against No. 19 seed Nadia Petrova on Sunday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Sharapova opened the match in dominant fashion, breezing by Petrova in a 6-1 first set in 31 minutes. However, Petrova came back strong with a 6-4 second set to force a winner take all third, which Sharapova won 6-4.
Neither player could establish much of an edge with the serve, as the two combined for only nine aces. The difference came down to Sharapova's small edge in winners and break points.
With the win, Sharapova advances to take on No. 11 seed Mario Bartoli of France. Looming down the road is a possible semifinal matchup with No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka.
For ongoing match updates and top notch analysis of the 2012 U.S. Open, make sure that you check out SB Nation's dedicated tennis hub.
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