Williams Wins Fight to Finish

MELBOURNE, Australia —  If she was going to exit from the Australian Open, former champion Serena Williams was not going to leave without a fight. For her, passivity is not acceptable in the third set, especially facing match points.

This was not tennis for the meek. And so, Williams blasted forehand winners on two of Maria Sharapova’s three match points today in the 10th game of the third set in their drama-filled semifinal at Melbourne Park in the Australian Open. On the other, Sharapova hit a forehand out.

Memory served Williams well in the midst of another perilous situation. The seventh-seeded Williams pulled out an entry in her mental resume and repeated another stirring third-set comeback, defeating No. 4 Sharapova of Russia, 2-6, 7-5, 8-6, in 2 hours 39 minutes.

In the final, Williams will play No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, who beat No. 19 Nathalie Dechy of France in the second semifinal, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4..

Two years ago, Williams saved two match points in the eighth game of the third set against Kim Clijsters of Belgium in the semifinals, en route to rallying from a 1-5 third-set deficit. Williams mentioned that feat, still huffing and puffing, in her on-court TV interview in front of a sellout crowd at Rod Laver Arena.

“I think it definitely lived up to everyone’s expectations,” Williams said. “It was a lot of fun.”

She was right on both accounts.

It was a spellbinding contest in what has become the best rivalry in women’s tennis. The 17-year-old Sharapova stunned Williams last year in the Wimbledon final, winning in straight sets. They had a terrific rematch later in the year at the season-ending WTA Championships at Staples Center.

There, Williams was suffering from an abdominal injury. Despite that she took a 4-0 lead in the final set, blasting winners. Still, Sharapova pulled herself together and came away with another title.

“Out of nowhere she knows how to turn it around,” Sharapova said of Williams.

Williams is considered the best fighter in the game for a reason, though the young Sharapova is considered a close second. This time, Williams went the distance after a slow start.

A teary-eyed Sharapova managed to smile and even laughed a bit when asked about the missed match points.

“ ‘Darn it,’ ” she said. “You know, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. So I’m just riding along. I mean, of course I’m sad, and obviously it’s a tough one to lose. But I’ve got a long way ahead of me.”

Sharapova seemed on her way to a second Grand Slam final with relative ease, leading a set and serving for the match at 5-4 in the second. Then she played a shaky game, losing her serve at 15. It was the first time Sharapova had lost her serve, and it took Williams almost an hour and a half to break it.

“I gave it all I had,” Sharapova said. “I played from my heart. I didn’t take my chances when I could. That’s what this game is about. If you don’t take your chances you lose.”

Williams won the last three games of the second to push it into a third set. The third set was a curious contrast to the first two. Sharapova seemed exhausted and quit grunting, just trying to hang on until she got a second wind.

It eventually came and the silence of the third set vanished. The volume pumped up -- from both sides -- and it turned into a shriek-a-thon again.

Williams saved the three match points in the 10th game to extend it. She got the break to pull to 5-5 when Sharapova hit a forehand long. Williams held at love to take a 6-5 lead and came within two points of taking the match. But two Williams backhand errors made it 6-6.

In the next game, Williams fought off three break points to hold, and won the match in the next game on her first match point, hitting a backhand in the corner.

A thrilled Williams jumped up and down after match point. It’s been a long road back from injuries and knee surgery. The 23-year-old will be trying to win her first Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon in 2003, and her seventh major event.

Which is why she didn’t place this match at the top of her list of memorable encounters.

“I can’t say it was my most satisfying because I’m only in the final. I’ve had some pretty satisfying wins,” Williams said.