Maria Sharapova dominates in Memphis

TOP seed Maria Sharapova breezed to a 6-2 6-1 victory over Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson to easily win the Memphis Championships women's title.

The dominant Russian did not drop a set during the tournament as she won her 21st career title.

"I feel great. I came here for matches – I got five and I got the win, so it was a good week," Sharapova said. "I served and returned well, two things that are very important indoors."

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Arvidsson, who won at Memphis in 2006, lost nine successive games from 2-2 in the first set.

In the men's draw, US Davis Cup team-mates Sam Querrey and John Isner set up an all-American showdown with contrasting semi-final victories.

Eighth seed Querrey held off Latvian Ernests Gulbis 6-3 6-4 after the sixth-seeded Isner beat German Philipp Petzschner 7-5 4-6 6-3.

The pair were playing last night and will team up to represent the United States in a Davis Cup World Group tie against Serbia in Belgrade on 5-7 March.

Querrey, who beat top seed and defending champion Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals, broke Gulbis in each set while saving all nine break points. "I came up big on the break points," the world No 31 said. "I think I made a high percentage of first serves on most of them and I just kind of willed out that last game at 5-4."

World No 25 Isner converted three of 11 break points and smashed 13 aces to win his first meeting with Petzschner. The tall American has a 12-1 record this year, which includes his first ATP tour title at Auckland in January.

"I had some chances early in the second to pull away a little bit, didn't do it," Isner said. "It went to a third set and I told myself not to get rattled, which I didn't.

"I knew that I still had my serve in my pocket – I'm going to hold serve, take my chances on the return game, and I like my chances in the third set no matter who I'm playing. I usually play pretty well in the third."