Longtime rivals out for bragging rights

MELBOURNE — Their world rankings will not change no matter what happens tomorrow, but at least either Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova would temporarily hold bragging rights over the other in one of tennis’ long-standing rivalries.

Yesterday, Williams, the world No 1, weathered a barrage of big serves and heavy groundstrokes early and needed nine match points before beating Madison Keys 7-6(5), 6-2 to set up an Australian Open final against second-seeded world No 2 Sharapova, who beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in an all-Russian first semi-final earlier.

Top-ranked Williams, bothered by a cold in recent days, dominated the second set of the all-American semi-final, breaking the 19-year-old’s serve twice.

Keys, in her first Grand Slam semi-final, saved seven match points on serve in a penultimate game lasting more than 11 minutes. Williams kept her cool, wasting one match point on her serve before closing with an ace to reach her 23rd Major final.

“She pushed me really hard the first set ... and I had to really dig deep mentally to get through that,” said Williams, pausing to cough.

“It was a little frustrating, I had like nine or 10 match points and couldn’t close it out. That doesn’t happen so much. She played like she didn’t have anything to lose.”

Sharapova, who beat 10th seed Makarova in 87 minutes to reach her fourth Australian Open final, has lost her last 15 head-to-head matches to Williams. Her only two wins in their 18 career meetings were at Wimbledon and the tour-ending championship in 2004.

She had needed to win the title, and for Williams to lose her semi-finals to dislodge the American who has been at the top of the world rankings for nearly two years.

“I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who I’m facing and whether I’ve had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone,” Sharapova said. “It doesn’t matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot. I will do everything I can to get the title.”

Williams, an 18-time Major winner, is back in the final here for the first time since winning her fifth Australian title in 2010. And her semi-final win ensured she will retain the top ranking, regardless of the outcome of the final.

Sharapova won the Australia Open title in 2008, but was comprehensively beaten in the championship matches in 2007 by then unseeded Williams and in 2012 by Victoria Azarenka.

The five-time Major winner opened the 2015 season in confident style by winning the Brisbane International title, but had a close call in the second round here, having to save match points against No 150-ranked Russian qualifier Alexandra Panova. Since then, she has not faced a set point.

“It’s been a strange road for me to get to the finals, but I’m happy,” said Sharapova, who is now into her 10th Grand Slam final. “Came from behind in a few, really behind in one — saving match points. I felt like I was given a second chance. I just wanted to take my chances.” AP