Sharapova, Azarenka fight for number one in Melbourne final

By Bill Scott Jan 26, 2012, 8:09 GMT

Melbourne - Maria Sharapova reached the Australian Open a third time as she beat Czech second seed Petra Kvitova 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 on Thursday to set up a battle for the WTA number one ranking.

The Russian won the 2008 title at Melbourne Park a year after losing the previous final to Serena Williams. The semi-final with Kvitova was a re-run of the Wimbledon title match won by the Czech.

Sharapova will clash for the trophy on Saturday with third seed Victoria Azarenka, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 winner over holder Kim Clijsters.

Saturday's champion will claim the top ranking after Caroline Wozniack was displaced from the position following her quarter-final loss to Clijsters, playing in what should be her last season in the game at age 28.

'I don't know how I won,' said Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam winner. 'In the third set she was always in advantage, since I was down on serve.

'I just told myself to go with for it, hit the ball and don't give up. I hung in and got a few returns in.'

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

'It felt like my hand weighed 200 kilograms,' said the winner. 'And my body about 1,000. Everything was shaking,' said the player who won Sydney coming into the major but has never been beyond the semis in a Grand Slam.

'The feeling when you finally win is such relief. 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 points chances.

Clijsters, who has likely played for the last time at the event after announcing that at age 28 and the mother of a child, that this would be her final season, had 26 winners and 44 errors.

Azarenka said that she was able to conquer her nerves on the big stage.

'I was trying to stay in the moment. Kim took over the second set, I felt there was nothing that I could do,' she said. 'I tried to re-focus 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.

'I could have been home already two days ago,' the Belgian said after overcoming an ankle injury in her upset of french Open winner Li Na in the fourth round. 'I really gave it 200 percent.

'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 definitely played really well. She was playing very aggressive tennis, moving really well. So she deserved to win at the end.'

Scheduled for later Thursday was the first men's semi-final, between long-time rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.