Maria Sharapova beats Kim Clijsters

Maria Sharapova beat Kim Clijsters 6-4 6-2 in the semi finals of the Australian Open. The match lasted 82 minutes.

The first set started with the first two point on serve. Clijsters then got a break to go up 2-1. Then next two points were on serve but Sharapova got a break to even the set at 3-3. The next two point were breaks and Maria then held serve to go up 5-4. The top seed then got another break to take the set 6-4. The first set lasted 42 minutes.

The second set started with the Russian winning the first three games. The Belgian held serve to make it 3-1. The next three point were on serve and then Maria got a break to take the match. The set lasted 40 minutes. She said: “I am a little sad as Kim’s such a great girl, and such a great champion on and off the court. She has a lot ahead of her in her off-court life and I think we all wish her the best.” Maria will now play Serena Williams in the finals. Serena beat Nicole Vaidisova 7-6 6-4 to reach the finals.

Maria Sharapova defeated Anna Chakvetadze

Maria Sharapova will meet Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after overcoming her compatriot Anna Chakvetadze at Melbourne Park.

The top seed Maria, was expected to down the 12th seed with clinical ease in the early quarter-final on the Rod Laver Arena but was made to fight all the way for a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 win.

Chakvetadze, who defeated Patty Schnyder and Jelena Kostanic Tosic on her way to the quarters, proved to be a worthy adversary, Times Online informs. Heading into her third semi-final appearance in a row at Melbourne Park, Maria Sharapova said she was satisfied with her performance. “I was just very competitive,” she said. “I thought I did the job really well today. Overall I thought it was a bit scratchy. First set I was down a break, but I get back in the groove.”

Maria Sharapova edges out Vera Zvonareva

Maria Sharapova edged out Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-4 to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the third time in her career on Monday.

The 19-year-old Russian broke in a tough game 12 of the opening set to take the initiative and despite recovering from 5-2 down in the second, the 22nd seed could not fend off Sharapova, who won in an hour and 46 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. Maria, a semi-finalist the last two years at Melbourne Park, plays her third fellow Russian of the tournament in the last eight when she faces 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze.

Maria Sharapova into 4th round

Maria Sharapova got another taste of the elements, ignoring the saunalike conditions in Rod Laver Arena to advance to the second week of the Australian Open.

While often heavy rain prevented play on outside courts, the roof on Rod Laver Arena was closed Saturday for Sharapova's 6-3, 6-1 win over 30th-seeded Tathiana Garbin in the third round. The air conditioning wasn't working and the players were already sweating profusely after their warmup and spectators fanned themselves with programs. "I guess I can say I'm still lucky to be in the tournament after my first round," Maria said. "It is only going to get tougher for me."

Maria Sharapova beat Anastassia Rodionova

Top seed Maria Sharapova made up for her exhausting opening victory with a 6-0, 6-3 drubbing of fellow Russian Anastasia Rodionova in the Australian Open's second round Thursday.

Maria, who was within two points of defeat by Frenchwoman Camille Pin in 50 degree Celsius midday heat Tuesday, looked much more comfortable on a cooler evening and clinched victory in 58 minutes. The world No. 2 said she felt fully recovered from her grueling three-hour opener that she won 9-7 in the final set. "I'm definitely recovered from it, I feel good physically," she told a news conference. "I played a little bit better today but still nowhere my top level and I think I can definitely get better as I play more matches here."

Maria Sharapova, who stayed on course for her first Australian Open title and third Grand Slam, still thinks players should be protected more from the problems of playing in extreme heat. "I think when it gets to a certain point where it's extreme heat, players should probably stop. Even if there is a 20-minute delay, I think that's why the roof's there. Heat is one of the most dangerous things for players. Today I felt like I could work on a few things and really see how I was playing," Sharapova said. "I'm glad I got off to a good start and I'm glad I was able to finish the match quickly." Maria will play Italian Tathiana Garbin, the 30th seed, in the third round.

Maria Sharapova enters next round at Australian Open

Top seed Maria Sharapova battled into the second round of the Australian Open after recording a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 9-7 victory over Camille Pin.

The 19-year-old began in impressive fashion and claimed the first set, but was surprisingly pegged back by Pin in the second. Maria Sharapova opened a 5-1 lead in the deciding set before Pin fought back to serve for the match at 7-6. However, the world number 62 wasted the chance and Sharapova's class and power eventually came through after an epic third set at the Rod Laver Arena.

"I was so delusional I couldn't think," she said. "It was hard to think about what you were going to do on court because you were just mentally trying to find a way to kind of make the points shorter and basically trying to find a way to win. "It's inhumanly possible to play three hours in that kind of heat. I don't think our bodies were made to do that."

Maria Sharapova may quit the Game

Tennis beauty Maria Sharapova revealed yesterday, she may quit the game early to have children.

The 19-year-old Maria said, that "tennis isn't everything" and said she wanted to try other things in life. The world face of women's tennis, Sharapova said she could retire at a similar age to Belgian Kim Clijsters, who will leave the game this year aged 24.

"I want to have a family, of course. I want to try other things in my career," Maria said. "But I can definitely see myself retiring at that age." Maria Sharapova, who plays 61-st-ranked Frenchwoman Camille Pin in her first round match, practised with Martina Hingis at Rod Laver Arena yesterday.

The reigning US Open champion is aiming to win her first Australian Open Tennis Championships 2007 - The Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific, crown after having been knocked out in the semi-finals of the previous two tournaments. The Russian said she had undergone several weeks of solid training and issued an ominous warning to opponents. "I might not have that many matches under my belt, but I feel fresh and healthy, which is most important," she said.

Maria Sharapova warms up in Hong Kong

Maria Sharapova struggled to a 7-5, 6-3 win over Yan Zi of China in the quarter-finals of the Champions Challenge in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Maria led 5-2 at one stage but was pegged back to 5-5 before breaking her opponent's serve and holding her own to clinch the first set. The Russian came out firing in the second and established a 5-1 advantage which proved too big a gap for Yan to make up.

She wouldn't be drawn on how she rated her chances in the Australia Open later this month following the surprise withdrawal of world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne from the first Grand Slam of the year. "It doesn't matter who you play you just have to concentrate on your own game," she said. Eight of the world's top women's tennis players are in Hong Kong, including number five Kim Clijsters who won her first-round match on Wednesday. The final will be played on Saturday.