LEAD: Azarenka beats Clijsters to reach first Grand Slam final

Jan 26, 2012, 6:34 GMT

Melbourne - Victoria Azarenka fell to the court in joy Thursday as she reached her first Grand Slam final with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 defeat of holder Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open.

The Belarus third seed remained in with a chance at taking the world number one ranking if she could win the Saturday final against either Maria Sharapova or second seed Petra Kvitova, who are playing the day's second semi-final.

That pair of Grand Slam champions are also both in the chase to claim the honour after Caroline Wozniacki went out in the quarter-finals to Clijsters and lost her position.

Azarenka had some drama in serving out the win in two hours, 12 minutes. Holding three match points, she double-faulted on the first but screamed with joy when Clijsters sent a backhand out to lose.

'It felt like my hand weighed 200 kilograms and my body about 1,000,' the winner said. 'Everything was shaking.'

'The feeling when you finally win is such relief,' said the player who won Sydney coming into the major but had never been beyond the semis in a Grand Slam. 'I can't believe it. I just want to cry.'

Azarenka's match win was her 11th of the season without a loss. The third seed overcame seven double-faults with 40 winners and converted on four of 11 break-point chances. Clijsters - who has likely played for the last time at the event after announcing that at 28 and the mother of a child, this would be her final season - had 26 winners and 44 errors.

Azarenka said she was able to conquer her nerves on the big stage: 'I was trying to stay in the moment. Lim took over the second set. I felt there was nothing that I could do.

'I tried to refocus in the third, taking it one point at a time. I'm really, really happy, I'm glad with the way that I fought. That's what I'm most proud of.'

Clijsters held a 4-2 lead in the series, having won two of their three previous matches dating to 2010.

'I'm disappointed, but then again, I felt like I have given it my all these last two weeks, and it's unfortunate,' the Belgian said after overcoming an ankle injury in her upset of French Open winner Li Na in the fourth round.

'The match was very close, there were a few deciding moments where I think I maybe had a little bit of an advantage in the third set,' she said. 'She definitely played really well. She was playing very aggressive tennis, moving really well, so she deserved to win at the end.'