Victoria Azarenka will face Maria Sharapova in the 2012 Australian Open Women’s Singles Final following both ladies winning their respective Semi-Final encounters on Thursday.
World number three, Belarusian Azarenka advanced to her first grand slam singles final following a hard fought three set 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory against reigning champion and 11th seeded Belgium Kim Clijsters.
There she will face former champion and current world number four Maria Sharapova who moved through to her first Australian Open final since taking all before here four years ago after a three set 6-2 3-6 6-4 victory over world number two, Czech Petra Kvitova.
The final will be played on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night and not only will it decide the winner of the year’s first grand slam but also who becomes the new world number one.
Azarenka, 22 who previous to this year’s tournament hadn’t made it past the quarter-finals at the year’s first grand slam and needed two hours and 12 minutes to get past Clijsters and into her maiden major final.
The Belarusian looked the stronger of the two and needed just one break to win the opening set before Clijsters, in what is most likely her final appearance in Melbourne fought back to take the second set and send the match into a third and deciding set.
However much to Azarenka’s credit she managed to swing the momentum back her way and despite conceding a break in the seventh game of the set she broke straight back and served it out to move through to her maiden grand slam final.
She will take on a veteran of grand slam finals in Maria Sharapova who advanced to her fifth grand slam final after her thrilling victory over the left-handed Kvitova.
The Russian needed two hours and 12 minutes to make her way into her third Australian Open Final after avenging her Wimbledon Final defeat last year to Kvitova.
Sharapova, 24 raced through the opening set, winning it in 36 minutes before Kvitova dug deep and fought back to level the match and sent it into a third and deciding set.
However Kvitova’s first serve which was a major part of her resurgence in the second set failed her once again in the third set and Sharapova capitalised on it as she booked her spot in the final after just one break of serve, the final game of the match.
2012 Australian Open Women’s Singles Final:
Victoria Azarenka (3) v Maria Sharapova (4)
Tagged with: Australian Open, Champion, Grand Slam Finals, Hadn, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Match, Melbourne, Momentum, Nbsp, Open Women, Petra, Quarter Finals, Rod Laver, Rod Laver Arena, Saturday Night, Veteran, Victoria Azarenka, Victory, Wimbledon