Serena Williams rallied from a set and 3-1 down — winning three key points with a cracked racket — to defeat Amelie Mauresmo and advance to the Wimbledon final for the third straight year.
Williams, trying to become the third woman in 35 years to win three consecutive titles, won 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4 in a topsy-turvy match full of drama, momentum swings, spectacular shots and animated displays of emotion by both players.
”I didn’t have a game today,” Williams said. ”I just really had heart, that’s all. I kept fighting.”
Williams will face 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final. Sharapova, who also came back from a set and 3-1 down, beat former champion Lindsay Davenport, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 to confirm her reputation as the biggest new star in the game.
Sharapova is the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Martina Hingis, who won the title in 1997 at 16, and the third-youngest to date to reach the women’s title match. The youngest was Lottie Dod, who won the championship in 1887 at 15.
Sharapova is also the first Russian woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Olga Morozova, who lost to Chris Evert in 1974.
”It’s unbelievable,” Sharapova said. ”I’m in the final. It’s absolutely crazy. It’s my favourite Grand Slam. I never in the world expected to do so well here, so early. I’m amazed.”
It took nearly two hours for Williams to overcome Mauresmo, who received treatment several times on her lower back but pushed the champion to the limit.
When the Frenchwoman hit a forehand wide on match point, Williams jumped high into the air with her arms extended. She curtsied and blew kisses to the centre crowd, which gave the players a standing ovation.
”This is definitely the most special moment in my career, right now,” Williams said.
It’s the first trip back to a Grand Slam final for Williams since she beat her sister Venus for last year’s Wimbledon title.
She underwent surgery on her left knee last August and was sidelined for eight months.
”I was more excited than anything because it’s been a really tough year for me,” Williams said. ”I’m here and I really feel like I’m playing good again.”
For a while, it looked like Williams was on her way to losing to Mauresmo for only the second time in eight matches. After blowing two set points while serving for the first set and losing the tiebreaker, she found herself down 3-1 in the second.
Then came a bizarre turning point. Williams slammed her racket to the ground, cracking the frame, after making a backhand error to go down 0-30 on her serve. She kept playing with the racket and won three straight points before it buckled completely. She changed rackets and won the next point to hold.
Williams broke in the next game and went on to win the set, which ended with Mauresmo hitting a second serve way long for a double fault.
Mauresmo, who had been clutching her lower back, first called for a trainer while trailing 4-3 in the second set. She took an injury time-out and left the court for several minutes. She was treated again on ensuing changeovers.
The third set swung back and forth, with both players shouting and pumping their fists after big points. When Williams hit a backhand passing shot down the line serving at 3-3, she arched her back and clutched her fists in a long pose. The only service break came in the last game when Williams smacked a backhand return winner to set up match point, followed by Mauresmo’s shanked forehand.
Williams finished with 44 winners and 42 unforced errors.
Mauresmo had 27 winners and 36 errors.
Mauresmo said her back was in constant pain on her serve, but didn’t offer that as an excuse.
”Maybe it would have been the same result if the back was good,” she said.
Earlier, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, Sharapova hit a stunning 46 winners — 20 more than Davenport — to overcome the 1999 champion.
When Sharapova ripped a forehand winner off a Davenport first serve to go up 4-1 in the third set, the match was all but over.
She held at love in the next game and then broke a demoralised Davenport to end the contest. After hitting a running backhand winner to set up match point, Sharapova stroked a deep return and Davenport pushed a forehand long.
Sharapova looked up at the sky, covered her mouth in amazement and waved and blew kisses to all corners of the centre-court stadium.
The 28-year-old Davenport, winner of three Grand Slam titles, said it was probably her last singles match at Wimbledon. She’s considering retiring next year.
”I’d be surprised if I was back,” she said.
The match turned Sharapova’s way after a 52-minute rain delay in the second set, with Davenport leading 2-1. After Davenport held for 3-1, Sharapova won 12 of the next 16 points to go up 4-3. She never trailed again.
Williams and Sharapova have met once before, with Williams winning 6-4, 6-3 in March in Key Biscayne, Florida. She figures the teenager will be the crowd favourite.
”The crowds always root for the underdog, at least when I’m playing,” she said. ”I’m always not the underdog. I’m used to it.”
The men’s semifinals are set for Friday, with defending champion Roger Federer facing Sebastian Grosjean, and Andy Roddick playing 20-year-old Mario Ancic. All but Ancic were also in last year’s semis. — Sapa-AP