Sharapova Into Fourth Miami Final
 
March 29, 2012 -- Is Caroline Wozniacki too sweet to be taken seriously? Could be. Her nickname is Sunshine, her teeth are perfectly straight and pearly white, and her disposition mild even when she's rattled in a match, like today's semifinal against Maria Sharapova.
 
Kader Nouni, a well regarded chair umpire with a sultry voice that reminds you of the late great Barry White, over-ruled a line call on match point. It sent Wozniacki over the edge, we think. Well, yes, she was upset but her voice didn't modulate as she exchanged words with Nouni, nor did she throw a tantrum, swipe her Yonex racquet at the court, or perch her hands on her hips.
 
She argued, which was in vain, because Nouni was correct in his over-rule and Caroline chest of challenges was empty.
 
"It was a pretty crucial point," Wozniacki said, as reported by the Associated Press. "When the ball is so close, I think he should give her [Sharapova] a chance to challenge, at least when I don't have any challenges."
 
There wasn't a chance in the universe that Sharapova would challenge herself because the call was her ticket for another chance to win the match.
 
Sharapova was awarded two serves, got a sitter and flung an awesome swinging volley in the opposite direction Caroline was headed, then threw her arms up in victory -- she'd made the 2012 final at the Sony Ericsson Open -- 46 62 64. At the net they shook hands and Maria patted Caroline once on the back in a gesture of consolation.
 
But that was the last hand shake for Sunshine. She blew off Nouni. No handshake for you Kader. Harrumph! She walked off court, not even a wave to the fans. That is about as pissy as Wozniacki gets and got.
 
Nothing can be done, officially, if a player doesn't shake hands with the chair umpire. However the lack of one is a protest, and Caroline did her bit to let Nouni know of her displeasure. Perhaps the Dane will realize, after she sees the replay of the ball bouncing directly on the baseline, that her ruffled feathers were probably more about her use, actually a waste, of a challenge earlier in the set. On that point Nouni told her the ball was out, but Wozniacki did her stubborn thing and pointed skyward -- she had to see for herself. Oops.
 
Wozniacki has a annoying habit of raising her finger when a ball goes out. Linesmen are the line callers, but Caroline likes to inform them of her point of view before the officials make the call. She did that one too many times today under Nouni's eyes. He told her not to do that, raising his sunglasses so she could see his dark eyes meant business ... back off Sunshine. I have the match under control ... you just play.
 
And she played like a champ early on. She played outside the familiar and comfortable Wozniacki defensive, run-every-ball-down game.
 
Down 1-4 in the first set, she reeled off the next five games smacking flatter forehands, serving 70%, and generally revealing the expanded skill set of an aggressive Caroline. She is learning. She can do it.
 
Maria Sharapova is no slouch when it comes to pace and pressure. Yet Wozniacki equaled that and trumped the 2-seed Russian who exacerbated her own demise in the set with a rack of errors.
 
After splitting the first two sets, the women faced off -- game on.
 
Sharapova has about the hardest head when it comes to grit and drive. She locks and loads. Wozniacki is a great fighter, but she should develop a remorseless court demeanor. Ruthless.
 
"Being aggressive is really the key," Sharapova said. "If you let her play many, many balls, she's such a great mover around the court and she can be out here for many hours, and that's not really my game."
 
She needs to take a lesson or three from Sharapova. Dress nice and smile off court, and wallop the dickens out of your opponents on court. Roger Federer is an ambassador of manners off court, but unmerciful at his work. It's a nice combination and since Sunshine is indeed nice, it would suit her to let her inner dark-side blossom as she goes through the points in her job of choice.
 
Meanwhile, congratulations to Ms. Sharapova who will again try to win the Miami title which has eluded her in three other finals: 2005, 2006 and 2011 when she lost to Victoria Azarenka.
 
"I'm happy that I gave myself another chance to go out there and try to change that," Sharapova said via the AP.
 
Sharapova has 24 career titles. She will play Agnieszka Radwanska in the final Sunday. Against Radwanska, Sharapova is 7-1 but the battles have gone to three half the time.