Grand Slam Into Set Mike

Tennis Betting Lines

Both semifinal matches lasted two hours, 12 minutes.

Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova will square off in Saturday's women's Australian Open final after they both survived tense three-set semifinal matches on Thursday. Azarenka, seeded third, ended Kim Clijsters' run at consecutive Australian Open titles by besting the four-time Grand Slam champion, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, at Rod Laver Arena.

The winner of Saturday's title match will become the new world No. 1, supplanting Clijsters' quarterfinal victim, Caroline Wozniacki. Sharapova has not held the top ranking since the week of June 8, 2007.

Kvitova beat Sharapova in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam last July, but trailed early against the three-time major titlist on Thursday at Melbourne Park.

Sharapova, seeded fourth, lost the second set, and was down 0-30 at 4-4 in the third before a replay reversal gave her new life. The Russian won the next four points to put the pressure back on Kvitova, who could not hold serve thanks to several unforced errors in the final game.

The former world No. 1 Sharapova's last major title came at the 2008 Aussie Open. The Russian was the Aussie runner-up in 2007.

If this was, in fact, the Belgian's final visit to the season's first major, she went down fighting. Azarenka broke Clijsters' second service game of the match, then fought off four break chances in the proceeding game.

Azarenka held serve with relative ease the rest of the opening set to stay in the driver's seat, but Clijsters began her comeback by breaking at love on Azarenka's first service game in the second.

But Azarenka, riding a 10-match winning streak after winning in Sydney earlier this month, earned her fourth break of the match to serve for a spot in the final.

In the quarterfinals, Clijsters fought off four match points against last year's Aussie runner-up to her, Li Na.

comments

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•    #Djokovic is unsure that #Murray’s new coach, 8 time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, can make an immediate difference in his student’s play!

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•    Men's Tennis is now boring....You can predict the last 4 in each grand slam. 1) Djokovic 2) Nadal 3) Federer 4) Murray

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•    Elke ochtend is hangover op slam fm -___-"

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•    Wah Final Australia Open tunggal putri Victoria Azarenka vs Maria Sharapova baru besok ya, mau nonton nih *-*

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•    I swear Cher Lloyd is trying to make a career out of rhyming 2 words that don't rhyme.

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•    exciting parin naman ang finals ngaun,kc d nmn tambakan ang game xcpt sa game1, la lng tlga finishing kick ang powerade

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•    Bethanie Mattek-Sands is into first Grand Slam final, teaming with Horia Tecau to beat Mirza/Bhupathi 6-3, 6-3. #AusOpen

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•    Got my two hardest finals tomorrow -__- #FML

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•    nadal early in his career barely ever made to the finals on any other surface

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•    Sweet, Kim Clijsters was at #fedal match. Things you don't get pointed out with Patrick McEnroe vs. MartIna. OMG, Feli + Wilson advert <3

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•    omg how the relationship status shows on bryans profile is SOO cute.. its just a big ass picture of angela <333333

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•    & im sure ill get cursed out later about this set up Nea just trapped me in.

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