Williams cruises to victory in Aussie final

Serena Williams captured her third Australian Open title. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP / Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Serena Williams answered her critics with an overpowering victory in the Australian Open final.

Unseeded and ranked 81st, Williams won for her eighth and most improbable Grand Slam title Saturday, beating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.

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"It was an awesome win, because I had so many critics. So many people ... saying negative things," Williams said. "Saying I wasn't fit, when I felt that I was really fit, and I could last three sets.

"It's always like, tell me no and I'll show you that I can do it. I get the greatest satisfaction just holding up the Grand Slam trophy and proving everyone wrong."

Only the second unseeded woman to win the Australian title in the Open era, Williams came to Melbourne Park with only three matches at a low-key warmup tournament after missing most of last season because of a knee injury.

She will jump to No. 14 in the world next week after capturing her first title in 15 tournaments since her second Australian Open victory in 2005.

Despite doubts about her fitness, Williams thought she was in great shape.

"I have been working really hard and haven't felt like my results have been showing," she said. "And finally it just all came together, especially in the final match."

The victory was the most dominating win in a completed championship match at Melbourne Park since Steffi Graf beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-0, 6-2 in 1994.

"This definitely goes down as one of my good matches. I'm insatiable," Williams said. "I think I could have done better. That's just my character."

She finished off the top-seeded Sharapova with a backhand winner, then threw her racket in the air and dropped onto her back on the court.

The 25-year-old American, also the 2003 champion, got up and skipped over to the side of the court, swapping high-fives with mother Oracene Price and other people in the stands before jogging back onto court with her arms up in triumph.

Williams dedicated the title to her half-sister, Yetunde Price, who was killed in a 2003 shooting.

"Most of all I would like to dedicate this win to my sister, who's not here. Her name is Yetunde. I just love her so much," she said, her voice cracking. "I'll try not to get teary-eyed but I said a couple of days ago, if I win this it's going to be for her. So thanks Tunde."

Chris O'Neill, who was ranked No. 111 when she won the 1978 title, was the only other unseeded woman to win the Australian Open.

Sharapova had no answers for Williams' power in her worst loss in a Grand Slam event.

"You can never underestimate her as a performer. ... I know what she's capable of and she showed that today," said Sharapova, who will assume the No. 1 ranking from Justine Henin. "She has showed it many, many times.

Williams saved match points in her semifinal win over Sharapova here two years ago before beating Lindsay Davenport in the final.

She started aggressively and never relented in the kind of form that helped her dominate women's tennis as she completed the "Serena Slam" with four consecutive majors up to the 2003 Australian Open.

She held to open and then won 12 straight points after Sharapova had a game point in the next to jump to a 4-0 lead. Williams saved a break point in the fifth game before Sharapova held at love to make it 5-1.

Williams served out, taking the first set in 26 minutes on her second set point when Sharapova sent a backhand service return wide.

The American broke Sharapova's serve and resolve again to open the second set, then had consecutive double-faults to give the 19-year-old Russian a break point chance in the next game. In a manner typical of her determined performance Saturday, Williams fired an ace to save the break point and held on back-to-back errors by Sharapova.

Williams led 4-0 before Sharapova held again, avoiding the most lopsided women's final ever in the Australian Open.

Serving for the match, Williams fired two aces to earn triple match point, then finished it off in 1 hour, 3 minutes with the backhand winner.

With occasional showers and a strong wind outside, the roof was closed on packed Rod Laver Arena.

Williams missed nine tournaments immediately after losing in the third round at the Australian Open last year and played only 16 matches in 2006, when she slumped as low as No. 140 in the rankings.

Her win over No. 5 Nadia Petrova in the third round this time was her first over a top-10 player since she won the 2005 tournament.

Sharapova came into the match on a 13-match winning streak in Grand Slams, having won the U.S. Open in September. After winning her first-round match in three sets, Sharapova didn't drop a set in five rounds before the final.

In the men's final Sunday, top-ranked Roger Federer will face Grand Slam final newcomer Fernando Gonzalez in a bid for his 10th major title.

Gonzalez overpowered Tommy Haas 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals Friday, a night after Federer beat No. 6 Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

"He's the No. 1 player in the world by far. ... I lost many times with him," Gonzalez said. "But now I'm playing much better than the last time we played. And it's only one match. I'm going to give everything that I have to try to win my first Slam."

Gonzalez is 0-9 against Federer, who has won nine of his 10 major finals.

Federer's victory over Roddick put him into a seventh consecutive Grand Slam final, tying a record set in 1934 by Jack Crawford.

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Serena's performance a blast from the past

Serena Williams polished off Maria Sharapova in 63 minutes. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia - The charismatic Serena Williams has always been a bit of an enigma on court and off, but her personal struggles over the past three years have been as normal as anyone's who has lost a sibling.

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Career often came second, because the tennis superstar hadn't come to terms yet with the murder of her half-sister Yetunde Price, in Compton, California, in the fall of 2003.

For the most part since then, Williams' game had significantly fallen off and it wasn't until the 2007 Australian Open that Serena had processed her sister's death enough to be able to come back on court and display her heavenly form.

"That really affected Serena," said her mother Oracene Price, after her daughter put on one of the most eye-popping devastations of a top-ranked player in a Grand Slam final with her 6-1, 6-2 blowout of No. 1 Maria Sharapova. "She knew it was necessary to go through the struggle. She knew she had something in her and she had to find her heart again."

There's no doubting Serena's heart any more, neither the size of her commitment nor her ability to beat the best when she's on.

She came into the Australian Open having played only four tournaments is 2006 and one warmup tournament in Hobart, where she admitted that rust was dripping off her racket.

But by the time she arrived in Melbourne, she had her game face on — and no player on tour can stare down an opponent with the ferocity that Serena summons.

Sharapova was thunderstruck as she was completely dismantled from the first toss of the ball. She could never work the points, because Serena thundered down ace after service winner, return-of-serve winner after quick-fisted groundstroke winner. She put so much pressure on the 19-year-old Russian that by the end of the first set, the normally composed Sharapova had lost all sense of where she should go with the ball.

Williams didn't allow the gritty top seed a fight. She knocked her out quickly and mercilessly, never allowing Sharapova any breathing room in the contest.

Serena launched 28 winners and committed only 11 unforced errors, breaking her opponent four times. She only faced two break points (Sharapova committed an unforced error on one) and Serena boomed one ace after another.

"She played flawless tennis," Sharapova said.

In a match that featured only a handful of extended rallies, Williams was completely locked into the proverbial zone and literally silenced the crowd, which sat dumbfounded at her display of near-perfect tennis.

"She smoked her,'" said Serena's hitting partner, Mark Hiawaly. "It was unbelievable. She's serving bigger than in the past, she hitting some around 200 KMH and is serving very accurate. She took away time from Maria by standing inside the court and fending off the pace. Whenever she moves forward, that's when she's playing her best."

Serena's third Australian crown is her eighth Grand Slam title overall and puts the great Monica Seles and her nine major titles squarely in sight. Out of shape both emotionally and physically last year, it appeared as if the 25-year-old might get stuck on seven and never regain the fire that saw her win four straight majors in 2002 and 2003.

But Oracene believed there would come a time when Serena rediscovered her desire. She also knew that it would take a significant amount of healing before she got her champion's mettle back.

"It's just like losing weight, you have to get your head there," Oracene said. "If your head is not there, you are not going to do it and then you have to stay there. When your kids are young, you guide them, and when they get older, they have to do it themselves."

Oracene is the butt-kicker of two parents, leaving it to her ex-husband, Richard, to be the back-patter. When she's coaching Serena, her daughter knows that she'll get no quarter if she isn't performing up to snuff. The two fought in practice during their trip Down Under, and after Serena raised the Aussie Open trophy for the third time, she apologized to her mom.

"I yelled at her," Serena said. "I was a bad student and said things under my breath, but she just kept coming."

Oracene is quite supportive off court, but she can't stand it when she feels like her daughter is playing lazy. When she puts her coach's hat on, poor positioning and lousy footwork isn't tolerated. But she knew that if Serena was to win the title, she had to push her hard.

"She really gets pissed at me and she just leaves where I am and goes to another side of the court," Oracene said. "I needed to get her to a point where her game used to be and to get her to move. I did, and then she got blisters and that was another struggle. It was a constant struggle all week."

But there were no doubts in the Williams camp before the final. Serena spent Friday night watching Chilean Fernando Gonzalez thrash Tommy Haas in the men's semis and was admiring his focus and incredible consistency. Before Serena went on court against Sharapova, who had shocked her back at the 2004 Wimbledon final and is the reigning U.S. Open champion, Oracene could sense that she was super-focused.

"I just told her to play the game that she had before she left," Oracene said.

That's what she did. Now Serena will shoot up the rankings to No. 14 and regardless of how much she plays this season, if she shows up at a Slam healthy, she'll be a favorite.

The ultra-confident Williams realizes that's the case, but before she ran off with her third trophy, she opened up her heart and made a tearful dedication to her dearly departed sister.

"A couple of days ago I said I'm going to win this for her, so thanks, Yetunde," Serena said.

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Maria takes strength

Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates winning her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium on day eleven of the Australian Open 2007.

Friday, 26 January, 2007

Women's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova believes her early hurdle on the way to this year's Australian Open final has set her in good stead to raise a second consecutive Grand Slam trophy on Day 13.

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After teetering two points away from an early exit during her first round battle with diminutive Frenchwoman Camille Pin in the roaring Melbourne heat, the Russian has left the rest of her opponents in her wake, failing to drop another set, on her way through to the final.

Speaking a day before squaring off against comeback queen and world No.81 Serena Williams in the final on the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, Sharapova said she feels ready to conquer the last hurdle.

"It [my path to the final] has been good and bad in a way. Because I feel like I got through my first round in a very tough way," she said.

"When you get through a match like that you're not sure if you're going to be physically ready to compete at the best level."

"Fortunately I was able to recover well and get through to the next match."

However, despite breezing through her remaining matches on the way to her first final Down Under, Sharapova says she is yet to play at the top of her game.

"I didn't feel like I was playing my best tennis [in the early rounds]," she said.

"I felt like against Kim [Clijsters in the semi-finals] it was a little bit of a turnaround."

"I felt a lot better out there and felt like I did the right things at the right time and played good tennis, which gives me a lot of confidence going into the final."

Boasting an undefeated record in her two appearances in Grand Slam finals, the Russian world No.1 also says nerves will not get the better of her when she squares off against Williams.

"I've been in two [finals] before, so no [I won't be nervous]," she said. "I mean, it's normal to realize that you are in a Grand Slam final. It's normal to have butterflies. Unless you're a robot, you know, just it's absolutely normal."

"But I think it's the way you handle it, the way you go about it on the court tomorrow."

Wary of the fact that Williams, a two-time former winner at Melbourne Park, will head into the match as the supreme underdog, Sharapova says she is focusing more on her own game than that of her opponent.

"I've seen bits and pieces of some of her matches, you know, but I've played her enough times to know her strengths and weaknesses," she added.

"At the end of the day it's not about my opponent, it's about me."

While admitting that Williams' remarkable comeback makes her something of an unknown quantity, Sharapova says she will be out to stamp her own authority on the match early.

However, the top seed and reigning US Open champion says she will need to stay focused the whole way through if she is to raise the trophy at Melbourne Park this year.

"I think the finish is going to be a lot more important than the start, to be honest. I'd rather have a terrible start and win the match than have a great start and lose it," said Sharapova.

"With any opponent - it doesn't matter who it is, first round or final or anyone I play - it's always important to let them know that you're there from the beginning of the match."

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Serena and Maria centre stage on Day 13

Maria Sharapova of Russia shows her frustration during her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters

Friday, 26 January, 2007.
With their head-to-head ledger locked at 2-2, Russian No.1 seed Maria Sharapova and two-time champion Serena Williams look set for a battle royal in Day 13's women's singles final at Australian Open 2007.
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They may have reached the decider in contrasting fashion, with Sharapova looking by far the more impressive as she has improved with each outing, but Williams has had to dig deeper throughout to stay alive and is now match-hardened.

Her chances of reaching the final and a chance at a third Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy may have been doubted by many before the tournament began, but 2003 and 2005 champion Williams has taken much delight in proving her detractors wrong.

But to take the final step and actually break through for her first title win since her last Melbourne Park triumph a couple of years ago, Williams will have to step her game up another level against her younger, fitter rival.

Sharapova looked headed for a first-round exit when she came within two points of defeat in the opening round against Frenchwoman Camille Pin before prevailing 9-7 in the third set.

Since then she has seen off countrywoman Anastassia Rodionova, Italian No.30 seed Tathiana Garbin, Russian No.22 seed Vera Zvonareva, Russian No.12 seed Anna Chakvetadze and Belgian No.4 seed Kim Clijsters, all in straight sets.

Unseeded Williams' progression has been much tougher, despite a first-round win over Italian No.27 seed Mara Santangelo in which she conceded only three games and her fourth-round defeat of Serbian No.11 seed Jelena Jankovic when she gave up just five games.

In between there were a comfortable two-set defeat over Anne Kremer of Luxembourg and a comeback win over Russian No.5 seed Nadia Petrova after she had trailed by a set and 3-5.

But in her quarterfinal Williams had to recover from a break down in the deciding third set, when Israeli No.16 seed Shahar Peer served for the match, and in the semis Czech No.10 seed Nicole Vaidisova made the early running in both sets only to succumb in two.

Notable in the previous meetings between the pair is that Sharapova has won both finals they've contested, when she won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004 and also when she came from behind to triumph in three sets in the Tour Championships later that year.

But in their only previous clash at Melbourne Park it was Williams who got the job done in the semifinals two years ago. Sharapova had match points that day before Williams came from a set down to advance 2-6 7-5 8-6.

Regardless of their history on court, Sharapova says she has 'played her enough times to know her strengths and weaknesses' and that she is acutely aware that Williams will punish her if she doesn't make the most of her opportunities.

"We've always had pretty good battles, exciting matches. But I definitely enjoy the fight against her," Sharapova said. "I know I say this all the time, but it's also about chances."

"Taking the chances when you have them, especially against an experienced player like her. If you let too many get away, the more you're going let the match slip away."

Speaking a day before taking to the court, Williams' attitude towards the match was similarly based more on her own game than her opponent's, the former world No.1 saying that she has 'nothing to lose'.

"Like I've always said, I think if I play well, if I play my game, do what I can do, it's hard for anyone to beat me," Williams said. "I got to make sure I'm playing well. Sometimes I have a tendency to shank a few balls, to mis-hit, not be on. If I'm on, it's tough."

"Maria's playing really well. I thought she played excellent yesterday. That's how you have to do. Champs always pick it up in the last two rounds. She's shown she was able to do that. We have to see."

Saturday's women's final will be followed by the men's doubles decider, when the No.1 seeds Mike and Bob Bryan from the United States clash with the No.2 seeds, Swede Jonas Bjorkman and Belarussian Max Mirnyi.

The Bryan brothers won four of the first five meetings between the combinations dating back to the Australian Open 2005 semifinals but Bjorkman and Mirnyi won all three matches contested in 2006, coming from a set behind in the two most recent clashes.
Having won two French Open doubles titles together, Bjorkman and Mirnyi will be keen to register their hat-trick and hand the defending champion Bryans their third Melbourne Park final defeat in four years following losses in the decider in 2004 and 2005.

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Aussie Kim says her goodbyes

Maria Sharapova left, of Russia embraces Kim Clijsters of Belgium after their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Thursday January 25.

Thursday, 25 January, 2007.
Kim Clijsters admitted the fact she had just played her last Australian Open match had not even sunk in as she came to terms with her heartbreaking semifinal loss to Russia's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova on Day 11 at Melbourne Park.

Clijsters is one of the most popular players ever to visit Australia and clearly had a packed Rod Laver Arena on her side as she fought for the right to face Serena Williams in Saturday's final in her last Australian Open campaign before her retirement at the end of this year.
...moreThursday, 25 January, 2007.
Kim Clijsters admitted the fact she had just played her last Australian Open match had not even sunk in as she came to terms with her heartbreaking semifinal loss to Russia's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova on Day 11 at Melbourne Park.

Clijsters is one of the most popular players ever to visit Australia and clearly had a packed Rod Laver Arena on her side as she fought for the right to face Serena Williams in Saturday's final in her last Australian Open campaign before her retirement at the end of this year.

The Belgian has been a perennial contender at Melbourne Park over the years having been runner-up to fellow Belgian Justin Henin-Hardenne in the 2004 final as well as now having been beaten in the semifinals on four occasions.
But it seems the ultimate success at Melbourne Park will now never come her way unless of course she does a Martina Hingis and eventually decides to come out of retirement.

"I have mixed feelings at the moment, it's not really sinking in yet," she said, when asked after her loss to Sharapova her thoughts on just having played her last match at Melbourne Park.

"Straight after the match you are disappointed with having lost and you are not really thinking about everything else."
Clijsters said she would say goodbye to Melbourne Park tomorrow in her own way when she makes one final visit to the home of the Australian Open, having announced she will retire at the end of the year when she marries American pro basketball player Brian Lynch.

"I will come back tomorrow and take my time saying goodbye to everyone," she said.
"There are a lot of people I want to talk to face to face, people that work here and people I want to keep in touch with."
"I have so many great memories from my times in Australia, not just tennis wise but also all the friends I have made."

While disappointed to have squandered her last chance to win the Australian Open, Clijsters admitted her best chance of winning the tournament may have been back in 2003 when she led eventual champion Serena Williams 5-1 in the deciding set in the semifinals and had two match points at 5-2 before losing 7-5.
"The most frustrating one was the one against Serena when I was 5-2 up in the third, but I have never been the type of person who thinks it’s the end of world when I lose a match," she said.

"I always try to look at the positive things and then always try to come back stronger."

That sunny attitude will be one of just many things Australian tennis fans will miss about a player who will be remembered as one of the best never to win the Australian Open.
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Clijsters' last stand?

Kim Clijsters of Belgium waves to the crowd after her semifinal loss to Maria Sharapova of Russia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbo - Thursday January 25.

Kim Clijsters gets the chance to extend her last-ever Australian Open until the final match when she takes on Maria Sharapova in Thursday's second women's semi-final.

Crowd favourite Clijsters, who retires at the end of the year, knows she will have to improve on her quarter-final performance, when she hit 62 unforced errors in edging past good friend Martina Hingis 3-6 6-4 6-3.

"We always had good matches, good battles, close sets," Clijsters said of her match against Sharapova. "She's a great athlete and a good player.

"I just have to be there from the beginning. I can definitely not afford all the unforced errors against Maria because she just steps on top of you.
...moreKim Clijsters gets the chance to extend her last-ever Australian Open until the final match when she takes on Maria Sharapova in Thursday's second women's semi-final.

Crowd favourite Clijsters, who retires at the end of the year, knows she will have to improve on her quarter-final performance, when she hit 62 unforced errors in edging past good friend Martina Hingis 3-6 6-4 6-3.

"We always had good matches, good battles, close sets," Clijsters said of her match against Sharapova. "She's a great athlete and a good player.

"I just have to be there from the beginning. I can definitely not afford all the unforced errors against Maria because she just steps on top of you.

"I'll have to be sharp in the beginning of the match. She's an incredible athlete and fights for every point."

Sharapova, meanwhile, has her own gameplan against an opponent she feels has more power at her disposal.

"Obviously, she's a lot stronger than I am. Hands down to her," the world number two said.

"Other than that, I feel like I'm definitely on a closer level than I was, say, a year ago. I feel like I'm doing smarter things in situations, being a little bit more patient when I have to.

"I feel like I have a lot more plans in my pocket. Also experience."
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Sharapova sets up Serena showdown

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates winning a point during her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium on day eleven of the Australian Open 2007 at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images).

Maria Sharapova will meet Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open after she brushed aside the challenge of Kim Clijsters on Thursday.

Sharapova was in aggressive form as she saw off Clijsters 6-4 6-2 in the second semi-final at the Rod Laver Arena.

The Russian's big first serve and powerful groundstrokes were too much for the popular Clijsters, despite the partisan support of the Melbourne fans.

Sharapova said: "I managed to find the big first serves when I needed them."

With Clijsters due to retire at the end of this season, this was her last appearance as a player at the Australian Open.

After leaving the court to a prolonged standing ovation, she said: "Of course I'll miss it - it's been a pleasure playing here.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a better match today - I tried everything I had, but I came up against a better player."

Sharapova, the number one seed, had fallen at the semi-final stage in both of the last two Australian Opens.

But she sought to dominate Clijsters from the start, and the 2004 runner-up could not live with the younger woman's power.

She said: "I'm excited about the final - I had a tough one here with Serena a few years ago.

"But I'm a little sad, because Kim is such a great champion on and off the court."

Serena storms into final

Serena Williams of the USA plays a backhand during her semi-final match against Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic on day eleven.

Thursday, 25 January, 2007

Serena Williams has become the first unseeded woman to make the Australian Open final for eight years, ousting Czech No.10 seed Nicole Vaidisova in straight-sets on Rod Laver Arena.

Williams, the 2003 and 2005 champion, overcame a slow start to take a tight match 7-6(5) 6-4 and set up a final showdown with either Kim Clijsters or Maria Sharapova.

Vaidisova got a break in the opening game of the match, before Williams snatched it back in the sixth game. The Czech teenager then broke again and she served for the set in the tenth game.

But Williams rescued a set-point and took it to a tiebreaker, where she won the first four points. Vaidisova rallied to square it at 5-5, but cost herself the set with a forehand into the net when Williams had set point.

The first three games of the second set went against serve, before Williams held for a 3-1 lead. A crucial double fault in Vaidisova's next service game handed Williams another break, and she soon had a grip on a spot in the final with a 5-1 advantage. The Czech held her next service game, and then got a break back with sensational backhand winner which left the American flat-footed.

The brave 17-year-old then saved four match points in her next service game, getting the scoreline back to 4-5. She rescued another as Williams served for the match, before Williams finally sealed it with an overhead smash.

Serena into final at Aussie Open

Serena Williams of the USA celebrates winning a point during her semi-final match against Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic on day eleven.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - American Serena Williams continued her march toward a possible third Australian Open title, reaching the final with a thrilling 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over 10th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova.

Williams, who came into this tournament ranked 81st in the world, has a chance to become only the second unseeded Australian Open women's singles champion in the Open Era. She'll face either top seed Maria Sharapova or fourth seed Kim Clijsters for the title on Saturday.

Williams won the Aussie Open in 2003 and '05, and is trying for her eighth Grand Slam title. However, she almost fell behind a set on Thursday and was in danger of not reaching the final.

Vaidisova was ahead 5-4 and had a set point, but Williams saved it and the Czech hit a return into the net, allowing the American to break serve.

Then, Williams blew a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak, partly due to a pair of double faults. Vaidisova's four consecutive points evened it, but Williams came through with a backhand passing shot, and another unforced error by the Czech ended the opening set.

It looked as if Williams would breeze to the final with a 5-1 lead in the second set, but Vaidisova broke serve once to stay in the match. Vaidisova then saved five match points, the last one when a backhand by her was clearly wide, but Williams was out of challenges.

It didn't matter though, as Williams ended it on her sixth match point try, delivering an overhand smash winner.

01/25 00:13:07 ET

Sharapova, Clijsters to meet in semifinals

Maria Sharapova, the reigning U.S. Open champion, beat 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters will meet in the semifinals of the Australian Open after each were victorious Wednesday, but both had to overcome plenty of unforced errors.

The top-seeded Sharapova, the reigning U.S. Open champion, beat 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze in an all-Russian matchup, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5. Sharapova had 41 unforced errors, but managed to capitalize on mistakes from her compatriot at Rod Laver Arena.

The fourth-seeded Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open titlist, then rallied to top No. 6 seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Belgian overcame 62 unforced errors to deny Hingis a chance at her fourth Australian Open championship.

Thursday's other semifinal will pit unseeded American Serena Williams against 10th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova.

Clijsters, who beat Hingis in the quarterfinals in Melbourne last year, took advantage of a double fault by her Swiss opponent in the final game of the match. Clijsters then drilled a passing shot to end it.

"This could have been my last match here," said Clijsters, who has already announced she will retire at the end of this year. "I'm very happy I get to play another one."

The number of unforced errors pointed to a Hingis win, but Clijsters was able to move into the semifinals for the fifth time since 2002.

"That was, I think, the only thing that I was seeing out there," Clijsters said of the miscues. "I really wasn't seeing the ball. The only thing you can do when you're not seeing the ball that well, and you feel like you're trying hard, is fight. I just worked for every point, and hopefully turned things around. I did."

For Hingis, she was trying to advance to her seventh final in Melbourne, having won the championship from 1997-99. She was the runner-up from 2000-02. The Swiss star missed the event from 2003-05 after she retired from the WTA Tour at the end of the 2002 season. She returned to the circuit in time for the start of the 2006 campaign.

"It's great to see her out here again," Clijsters said of Hingis. "I knew over the last year, she's definitely been improving. I knew it was going to be a tough one out there today. She's a good friend."

Sharapova, who is assured after this week of returning to the No. 1 ranking she last held in October 2005, moved to 44-15 lifetime in tour events against Russian players.

Chakvetadze held a 5-4 lead in the opening set, but couldn't break Sharapova the remainder of that set, and hit a forehand into the net to end the tiebreaker. Chakvetadze tried to fight back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set, breaking Sharapova once. However, Sharapova finally ended the match when Chakvetadze hit a return into the net.

"I was just very competitive," Sharapova said. "Against a girl like that, who gets a lot of balls back, it's just a matter of who can be a little bit smarter, who can get an extra ball back, who is a little tougher. I thought I did the job really well today."

As far as the semifinal matchups are concerned, Clijsters is 4-2 all-time against Sharapova, but the Russian has won the last two encounters. This will be the first meeting between Williams and Vaidisova.

Williams won the Aussie Open in 2003 and '05, and is trying for her eighth Grand Slam title.

01/24 08:15:30 ET

Serena guts out three-set win to reach Aussie semis

Serena Williams continued her drive toward a third Australian Open title by rallying to beat Israeli Shahar Peer, 3-6, 6-2, 8-6.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - American Serena Williams continued her drive toward a third Australian Open title by rallying to beat Israeli Shahar Peer, 3-6, 6-2, 8-6, in the quarterfinals.

Williams, the 2003 and '05 champion in Melbourne, was behind 6-5 in the final set to the 16th seed, but broke back and then held serve at love before taking advantage of an unforced error to move into the semifinals after playing Peer for more than 2 1/2 hours.

Williams, who is unseeded at this event, moved into the round of four to play Nicole Vaidisova, who ended Lucie Safarova's magical run with a 6-1, 6-4 win in a battle between Czech players on Tuesday.

The lone American left at this tournament, Williams looked all but out after a poor first set. However, she was fortunate to survive as the 19-year-old Peer, the first woman from Israel ever to reach a Grand Slam ingles quarterfinal, converted just 3-of-13 break point opportunities. That included a 2-for-10 mark in the final set.

Williams bolted to a 4-1 lead in the final set, ending the fifth game with an ace. However, Peer came back to win the next three games. Williams' long forehand evened the match.

Peer nearly broke Williams in the ninth game, as the American fell behind 15-40, facing double-break point. Williams then fired a pair of aces to save those break points and then saved another on an unforced error by the Israeli. Williams eventually smashed another ace to hold serve.

However, after another game that went to deuce, Peer held serve for a 5-5 encounter. Peer then broke serve to move to the brink of a win, but Williams responded with a break to square the match again.

After Williams easily held serve, Peer fell apart in the final game. The Israeli hit a return long to set up match point, then hit a backhand wide to give Williams a chance to continue her title march.

Still, after the match, Williams was upset she blew such a big lead in the final set.

"I hate that situation, and I'm tired of being in that situation," a chuckling Williams said. "I don't know why I had to be in that situation today because I was up 4-1. All I had to do was hold. I didn't have to be there."

Williams, who overcame 49 unforced errors, is trying for her eighth Grand Slam title.

"It was definitely a hard-fought match," Williams said. "I wasn't playing my best tennis, so I'm excited that I was able to come through when I wasn't the best I could be today."

Vaidisova, the 10th seed, snuffed out Safarova, just two days after Safarova knocked off 2006 Aussie Open champion Amelie Mauresmo. The 17-year-old Vaidisova is through to her second Grand Slam semifinal, also reaching the round of four at the French Open last year.

"I've never played Serena before," Vaidisova said. "She's definitely a great champion. I expect a tough match from her."

The other half of the quarterfinals will be Wednesday. Reigning U.S. Open champion and No. 1 seed Maria Sharapova will take on 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze in an all-Russian matchup. Fourth seed Kim Clijsters will play No. 6 seed Martina Hingis, a three-time Melbourne titlist.

Sharapova, who is assured after this week of returning to the No. 1 ranking she last held in October 2005, is 43-15 lifetime in tour events against Russian players. That includes a 2-0 mark versus Chakvetadze, with the most recent meeting coming in 2005 in Los Angeles, when Sharapova rallied from a set down.

Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open champion, will compete in her fifth Aussie Open quarter (4-0), while Hingis will play in her ninth straight quarterfinal at this event (6-2). Hingis captured this Slam back-to-back-to-back from 1997-99 and was the runner-up from 2000-02. The Swiss star missed the event from 2003-05 after she retired from the WTA Tour at the end of the 2002 season. She returned to the circuit in time for the start of the 2006 campaign and has now reached the Aussie quarters the last two years.

The popular Clijsters topped Hingis in last year's Aussie Open quarters. The two stars have split eight career matchups, but Clijsters in 2-0 in their major meetings, with both wins coming last season. The Belgian star also topped the "Swiss Miss" in the '06 French Open quarters.

01/23 11:06:45 ET

Sharapova, Clijsters, Hingis reach Aussie quarters

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - 01/22 11:30:22 ET.
U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova and her fellow former world No. 1s Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis secured berths in the 2007 Australian Open quarterfinals with fourth-round victories here on Monday.

The top-seeded Sharapova got past her 22nd-seeded fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 to win her 11th straight Grand Slam match. Sharapova hasn't lost in a major since she fell in the Wimbledon semifinals last summer. She ran the table at the U.S. Open last season, including a title match victory over current world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Sharapova will perform in her third straight Aussie Open quarter. The 19-year- old superstar's next opponent will be another fellow Russian, 12th-seeded Anna Chakvetadze, who upended eighth-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-1 on Day 8 at Melbourne Park. Schnyder had reached at least the quarterfinals here in each of the last three years. The 19-year-old Chakvetadze will play in her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The marquee quarterfinal here will pit a fourth-seeded Clijsters against a sixth-seeded Hingis. The 2004 Aussie Open runner-up Clijsters handled 15th- seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 7-5, while Hingis fought back to beat 19th-seeded Chinese Na Li 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. Hingis managed only eight winners in her come-from-behind victory, but Li uncorked 69 unforced errors to help the Swiss along.
Clijsters will compete in her fifth Aussie Open quarter (4-0), while the three-time Melbourne titlist Hingis will play in her ninth straight quarterfinal here (6-2). Hingis captured this Slam back-to-back-to-back from 1997-99 and was the runner-up from 2000-02. The Swiss star missed the event from 2003-05 after she retired from the WTA Tour at the end of the 2002 season. She returned to the circuit in time for the start of the 2006 campaign and has now reached the Aussie quarters the last two years.

The 2005 U.S. Open champion Clijsters is looking forward to the bout with Hingis.

"It's always a pleasure to play her again here," Clijsters said. "She's just a great champion."

Clijsters topped Hingis in last year's Aussie Open quarters.

01/22 11:30:22 ET

Mauresmo sent packing at Aussie Open

Amelie Mauresmo of France shows her frustration during her fourth round match against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic on day seven of the Australian Open 2007 at Melbourne Park on January 21, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Defending champion and second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France was ousted from the Australian Open Sunday, losing in the fourth round in straight sets to Lucie Safarova.

Mauresmo's first meeting with the 19-year-old Czech turned into a one-sided affair, as Safarova came through with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at Rod Laver Arena.

Also sent packing was third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, who lost to 16th seed Shahar Peer of Israel, 6-4, 6-2. Kuznetsova, a former U.S. Open champ and last year's French Open runner-up, committed 23 unforced errors.

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American Serena Williams moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 11th-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic. Williams, a former world No. 1 currently ranked 81st in the world, continued her march toward a possible eighth grand slam title. That includes championships in Melbourne in 2003 and 2005.

The former world No. 1 Mauresmo won her 10th straight Aussie Open match by easily dousing Czech Eva Birnerova in straight sets Friday, but just two days later she was given the boot by the 70th-ranked player in the world.

"I was trying to be more aggressive," Safarova said. "When I was playing against a big player before, I was hurrying too much on the court and doing so many mistakes. So I wanted to be better now."

Safarova is playing in just her seventh grand slam event, and until this tournament had never advanced past the second round.

"I felt really comfortable here," Safarova said immediately after the match. "It was great. I'm really happy."

Because of the losses by Mauresmo and Kuznetsova, Russian Maria Sharapova will regain the No. 1 ranking when this year's first grand slam event concludes. Justine Henin-Hardenne, the current top-ranked player, withdrew from the Australian Open due to personal reasons.

Peer moved into a grand slam quarterfinal for the first time in her career and was rewarded with a match against Williams.

Also Sunday, 10th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova moved into the quarterfinals by beating seventh-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 6-3. Vaidisova will meet Safarova in the round of eight.

Na Li of China, the 19th seed, beat ninth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, 6-2, 6-2, in a third-round match that was postponed by rain Saturday. Russian Anna Chakvetadze, the 12th seed, got past Croatia's Jelena Kostanic Tosic, 6-4, 6-4 in another third-round affair; and 15th seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia rallied to beat American Ashley Harkleroad, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-3.
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