MELBOURNE, Australia -- Maria
Sharapova has reached the Australian Open final for the fourth time,
beating fellow Russian Ekaterina
Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in a lopsided semifinal Thursday.
The second-ranked Sharapova needed 10 minutes to hold in her
opening service game, fending off two break points. She responded to the only
service break against her in the first set by winning six straight games and
seizing control of the match from the 10th-seeded Makarova, who had taken only
one set off her in five previous matches.
She will next meet the winner of the all-American semifinal
between top-ranked Serena
Williams and 19-year-old Madison
Keys.
Sharapova won the Australia Open title in 2008 but was
comprehensively beaten in the championship matches in 2007, by then-unseeded
Williams, and in 2012, by Victoria
Azarenka.
The five-time major winner opened the 2015 season in
confident style by winning the Brisbane International title but had a close
call in the second round here, having to save match points against No.
150-ranked Russian qualifier Alexandra
Panova. Since then, she hasn't faced a set point.
"It's been a strange road for me to get to the finals,
but I'm happy," said Sharapova, who is now into her 10th Grand Slam final.
"Came from behind in a few, really behind in one saving match points. I
felt like I was given a second chance. I just wanted to take my chances."
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