Williams finds serenity after edging Sharapova

MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams finally beat Maria Sharapova in a big match, saving three match points and defeating the Wimbledon champion 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 today to advance to the women’s final at the Australian Open.

Williams weathered a barrage of deep groundstrokes and shrieks in the first set and at the start of the second by Sharapova before picking up the pace on her serve and getting her forehand working.

The 17-year-old Sharapova, who upset Williams in the Wimbledon final and in the season-ending WTA championship last season, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and again at 5-4 in the third.

The seventh-seeded Williams, who won the Australian Open in 2003 but couldn’t defend the title last year because of an injured knee, has won 13 consecutive matches at Melbourne Park and is one match away from a seventh Grand Slam title.

“I think it definitely lived up to expectations,” said Williams of her showdown with Sharapova. “It was a lot of fun … I can’t believe it’s over. I feel like I should still be playing.”

The third set lasted 66 minutes, and the crowd in the packed Rod Laver Arena cheered and groaned on every point, seemingly not wanting the drama to end.

After twice trading breaks earlier in the set and saving match points with a string of blistering forehands, Williams saved three break points before holding in the 13th game, setting up game point with her first serve-and-volley approach in 2 hours, 33 minutes.

She dropped to her knees and punched the air repeatedly when she set up two match points with a winner in the next game.

After finishing off the match with a backhand after 2:39, Williams leaped all the way to the net.

In 2003, Williams saved two match points in a semifinal against Kim Clijsters before reaching the final and beating her older sister, Venus, for the title.

“Two times in a row back from match point down …. this is such a special court for me,” said Williams.

In Saturday’s championship, Williams will face the winner of the later semifinal between top-ranked Lindsay Davenport and 19th-seeded Nathalie Dechy of France.

“I have to stay focused. I’m back in a final,” Williams said. “It’s been such a tough 12 months for me. I want to thank everyone so much, especially back home.”

Williams blamed her Wimbledon loss on nerves because she was coming back from a long time off the circuit because of injuries. But she was tight from the beginning this time, spraying shots into the net, long and wide. She had 13 unforced errors in the first five games alone.

Williams couldn’t seem to believe her inaccuracy, testing her swing after mistakes, shaking her head and even laughing.

Later, top-ranked Roger Federer met No. 4 Marat Safin for a place in Sunday’s men’s final. The result wasn’t known by press time.

Andy Roddick was leading 6-3, 7-5, 4-1 when Nikolay Davydenko retired from their quarterfinal after just 1:35 Wednesday because he was having trouble breathing.

That was less time than Roddick’s semifinal opponent for Friday, Lleyton Hewitt, needed for the fifth set alone before getting past Argentina’s David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 3-6, 10-8 in 4:05.

Hewitt’s marathon win ensured the top four seeded men made the semifinals at the Australian Open for the first time since 1988.