No. 3 Azarenka, No. 4 Sharapova advance into Australian Open final

Victoria Azarenka was playing her second career Grand Slam semifinal.

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

2012 Australian Open

Day 14

• WERTHEIM: Fifty parting thoughts
• WERTHEIM: Aussie final for the ages
• NGUYEN: Djokovic finds another gear
• Go Figure: Epic men's final by the numbers
• Djokovic outlasts Nadal in five-set thriller

Day 13

• NGUYEN: Can Nadal solve Djokovic?
• WERTHEIM: Azarenka breaks through
• Azarenka routs Sharapova for first major
• NGUYEN: Game-by-game analysis
• Bryan brothers beaten in doubles final

SI Photos

Men's Champions	Women's Champions
Federer vs. Nadal	Australian Open Fashion

Previous Coverage

Day 12 WERTHEIM: Another Big Four classic Djokovic survives Murray to reach final NGUYEN: Game-by-game analysis Kuznetsova, Zvonareva win doubles VIDEO: Men's final preview VIDEO: Women's final preview - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 11 WERTHEIM: Different script, familiar result NGUYEN: Federer-Nadal game-by-game Nadal downs Federer again to reach final WERTHEIM: Thoughts on women's semis Sharapova, Azarenka advance to final - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 10 WERTHEIM: Big 4 dominance; mailbag WERTHEIM: New rivalry wrinkle (video) NGUYEN: Women's semifinal preview Djokovic tops Ferrer to complete semis Sharapova sets up rematch with Kvitova Back-to-back runner-up Murray advances No. 2 Kvitova rolls over Errani into semis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 9 WERTHEIM: Vintage Federer; mailbag NGUYEN: Clijsters rises, Wozniacki falls NGUYEN: Nadal survives Berdych PHOTOS: Best Aussie Open wackiness Federer rolls Del Potro, gets Nadal next Clijsters ends Wozniacki's reign at No. 1 Azarenka comes back to beat Radwanska - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 8 WERTHEIM: Serena no longer dominant Serena upset by Makarova in 4th round WERTHEIM: Berdych's classless act, mail Day 8: Sharapova survives Djokovic sends Hewitt packing Tsonga crashes out to Nishikori

Kvitova ousts Ivanovic to reach quarters

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 7 WERTHEIM: Aussie Open Midterm Grades WERTHEIM: Admiring Hewitt, Clijsters Clijsters saves 4 match points to stun Li NGUYEN: Kim escapes, Berdych booed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 6 NGUYEN: Monfils falls, Hewitt surprises Serena, Djokovic, Sharapova advance Nalbandian to appeal water-throwing fine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 5 NGUYEN: Tomic's variety, Day 5 recap NGUYEN: Top 10 fashion hits NGUYEN: Top 10 fashion misses VIDEO: Federer's amazing lob shot Federer, Nadal move into Round of 16 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 4 WERTHEIM: Roddick's exit sadly fitting NGUYEN: Williams' milestone; Day 4 recap VIDEO: Sharapova coasts by Hampton Serena, Djokovic cruise in Melbourne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 3 WERTHEIM: Wozniacki worthy of No. 1 NGUYEN: Day 3 Recap: Fish's ugly exit VIDEO: Baghdatis smashes four rackets NGUYEN: Isner-Nalbandian controversy Fish out; Federer, Nadal, Clijsters advance New ATP head sympathizes with players - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 2 WERTHEIM: Sharapova thumps Dulko JENKINS: Best, worst of TV coverage NGUYEN: Roundup of Day 2 happenings Djokovic, Serena cruise into Round 2 Stosur bows out early; Kvitova advances Roddick rolls over Haase into Round 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 1 WERTHEIM: Federer-Nadal rift, more mail NGUYEN: Roundup of Day 1 happenings Young Tomic edges Verdasco in five sets Day 1 recap: Nadal, Federer roll in openers NGUYEN: Highlights from Melbourne- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Preview Roundtable: Predictions and analysis Wertheim: Australian Open men's seed report Wertheim: Australian Open women's seed report The Toss: Contenders outside the Big Three? Australian Open TV schedule Nguyen: Under-the-radar players to watch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Maria Sharapova has avenged her Wimbledon loss to Petra Kvitova and returned to the Australian Open final for the first time since winning 2008 title.

Sharapova broke Kvitova's serve in the last game to finish off a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory and set up a championship match against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka. The third-seeded Belarusian ousted defending champion Kim Clijsters earlier Thursday to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Whoever wins the final also will gain the No. 1 ranking.

Sharapova lost to second-ranked Kvitova in the Wimbledon final last year, her first major final since returning in 2009 after a long time off the tour following a shoulder operation. She has won three majors, but none since the Australian four years ago.

"In the third set, I felt she always had the advantage because I was always down on my serve," said Sharapova, who served five double-faults in the third set and 10 in the match. "I just told myself you just gotta go for it, don't let her finish off the points like she likes to."

Azarenka won the early semifinal 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, twice recovering from periods when a resurgent Clijsters seemed to have the upper hand, breaking the veteran Belgian's serve three times in the third set to secure victory in only her second appearance in a major semifinal.

After a strong start, Azarenka's serve deserted her in the second set and Clijsters dictated play with her solid groundstrokes and some amazing defense.

But after getting the momentum back, it was Clijsters who blinked first in the third set, dropping serve in the second game and again in the fourth. She got two of those service games back, including one when she rallied from 40-0 down to win a game to get the score back to 4-3.

But Azarenka rallied immediately, breaking serve. She got triple match point trying to serve out the match and, after a double-fault on her first, she clinched it on a Clijsters' error.

The 22-year-old Belarusian threw her racket on the court and sank to her knees, bent over with her hands covering her face. Clijsters came around the net to congratulate her.

"I felt like my hand is about 200 kilograms and my body is about 1,000 and everything is shaking, but that feeling when you finally win is such a relief. My God I cannot believe it's over. I just want to cry," Azarenka said as she choked back tears, then buried her face in a towel.

"It was just trying to stay in the moment. Kim really took over the second set and I felt there was nothing I could do. I just tried to regroup."

Clijsters is a popular player in Australia, where she's widely known as "Aussie Kim." She had most of the backing from the crowd on the national holiday in what is likely to be her last Australian Open.

Azarenka held her nerve despite the crowd and the fact she was up against a proven big-match player. Clijsters has won four majors and has defended a Grand Slam title - winning the U.S. Open in 2009 and '10. To reach the semifinals, she saved four match points despite a sprained ankle to beat French Open champion Li Na in the fourth round and then ousted top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals.

"I guess before you all thought I was a mental case. I was just young and emotional," Azarenka said in a courtside interview. "I'm really glad the way I fight, that's the most thing I'm really proud of. I fight for every ball."

Clijsters credited Azarenka with increasing maturity.

"The match was very close. There were a few deciding moments where I think I maybe had a little bit of an advantage, in the third set, especially that first game where I had break point," Clijsters said. "But, you know, she definitely played really well. She was playing very aggressive tennis, moving really well. So she deserved to win at the end."

Wozniacki will vacate top spot in next week's rankings after her quarterfinal loss, leaving either No. 3 Azarenka and No. 4 Sharapova to move to the top.

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