Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova got back on the winning track Saturday night in Memphis, capturing her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title of the year - and the 21st of her career - at the Cellular South Cup.

Seeded No.1 at the International-level tournament, Sharapova was considered the favorite in the field from the beginning, and boy did she deliver, not dropping a set the entire way. In fact, the Russian lost just 21 games in 10 sets - her 62 61 win over Sofia Arvidsson in the final was one of her quickest of the week.

Maria Sharapova is now one win away from her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title of the year and the 21st of her career, moving into the final of the Cellular South Cup with a 64 63 win over Petra Kvitova.

Sharapova, the No.1 seed at the International-level tournament, won in straight sets for the fourth time in four matches this week, claiming a close first set then rallying from 0-2 in the second set to prevail against Kvitova, the No.5 seed.

The collision course everyone was following became no more at the Cellular South Cup on Thursday, as Melanie Oudin fell in the quarterfinals. Maria Sharapova moved into the final four, however.

Top seed Maria Sharapova of Russia dispatched eighth seed Elena Baltacha of Britain 6-2 7-5 on Thursday at the Memphis Championships.

It was another commanding performance from Sharapova, who has yet to drop a set in Memphis, as she claimed a nip-and-tuck second set by breaking her opponent at 5-5.

Sharapova will play fifth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic for a place in the final.

Second seed American Melanie Oudin failed to join Sharapova in the last four, losing to unranked Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-1 6-3.

Top-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova and second-seeded rising American Melanie Oudin were easy second-round winners Wednesday at the $220,000 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships & the Cellular South Cup tennis event.

Former world No. 1 and three-time major champion Sharapova drilled American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1, 6-1 in just under one hour on the indoor hardcourts at The Racquet Club of Memphis.

Sharapova's next test will come from eighth-seeded Brit Elena Baltacha, who handled Canadian Valerie Tetreault 6-4, 6-4.

Top seed Maria Sharapova dismantled Shenay Perry 6-0 6-2 in the opening round of WTA Memphis to record her first victory on tour this year.

The former world number one needed just 51 minutes to dispatch her American challenger, breaking Perry's service six times.

The Russian will play American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the next round.

Sharapova was coming off a disappointing performance at the Australian Open last month when she fell in the first round to compatriot Maria Kirilenko.