Updated at 17.00
MARIA SHARAPOVA enjoyed a relatively straightforward victory over Sabine Lisicki of Germany, comfortably winning 6-4 6-3 to set up a meeting with Czech 21-year-old Petra Kvitova in the Ladies’ Singles final on Saturday.
Despite making 12 double faults and going 3-0 down in the first set, Sharapova demonstrated her resolve, coming back to win six of the next seven games.
She then stormed 3-0 ahead in the second set, and despite her opponent undergoing a mini-revival and breaking Sharapova’s serve, the American ultimately won the set comfortably to give her a chance to win the title for the first time since she did so as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Earlier in the day, Kvitova rode her big serve to Saturday’s final, defeating Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. The number eight seed hit nine aces, including three in a row in the final game of the first set, to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Kvitova was playing in only her second major semifinal, and she dictated the play throughout the match. The Czech left-hander had 40 winners and 14 unforced errors, while Azarenka had only nine winners and seven unforced errors.
- AP with additional reporting by Paul Fennessy